President visits Cuba's leading biotechnology centre
President Nguyen Xuan Phuc on September 20 visited the Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB) in Havana as part of his official visit to Cuba.
President Nguyen Xuan Phuc witnesses the signing of cooperation agreements between the two countries Photo: VNA)
Havana (VNA) – President Nguyen Xuan Phuc on September 20 visited the Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB) in Havana as part of his official visit to Cuba.
Established in 1986, the CIGB is a leading biotechnology centre of Cuba. It has successfully researched and produced five types of vaccines against COVID-19, including Abdala, making Cuba the first and only Latin American-Caribbean country to research and produce its own COVID-19 vaccines.
According to Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan, during the President's visit, the health ministries of Vietnam and Cuba have reached agreements on eight cooperation contents in research, training, technology transfer and production of medicines.
At the CIGB, President Phuc witnessed the signing of an agreement between the CIGB and the Centre for Research and Production of Vaccines and Biologicals (POLYVAC) under the Vietnamese Ministry of Health on purchasing 5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines from Cuba. Businesses of both sides also signed deals on the transfer of Soberana 2 COVID-19 vaccine.
He expressed his hope that health care partnership between the two countries will continue to grow effectively to match the sound relations between the two sides.
The Vietnamese State leader is scheduled to visit General Raul Castro Ruz before leaving Havana for Santiago, the second largest city of Cuba, where he will lay wreaths at Cuban leader Fidel Castro’s grave and the monument commemorating national hero Jose Marti.
After concluding the Cuban visit, President Phuc will head to New York for a general debate of the UN General Assembly’s 76th session and a number of bilateral activities in the US./.
Deputy Minister of National Defence Sen. Lt. Gen. Hoang Xuan Chien held talks with Minister of the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces Alvaro Lopez Miera in Havana on September 20 morning.
The Government on September 20 issued Resolution 109/NQ-CP on the purchase of Abdala COVID-19 vaccine developed by the Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology in Cuba.
First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee and President of Cuba Miguel Díaz Canel chaired an official welcome ceremony for President Nguyen Xuan Phuc and the Vietnamese delegation at the Palace of the Revolution in Havana on September 19 evening (local time).
Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son held a meeting with Cuban Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Marcelino Medina in Havana on September 19 (local time).
Vietnam will promote investment projects in the Mariel Special Development Zone in practical fields serving the development and daily needs of Cuban people, especially production of essential goods, high-tech industry and infrastructure development, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc has said.
The trip will be made at the invitations of Chinese Premier Li Qiang and WEF President and CEO Børge Brende, according to an announcement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Long spoke highly of the dynamic, positive, and comprehensive development of Vietnam – Russia relations in recent years. He affirmed that the Vietnamese Party and State place great importance on further strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia in a substantive and effective manner, in line with the development needs of both nations.
At the conference, participants reported that the Government has so far issued 28 decrees on the delegation of responsibilities and powers between the central Government and two-tier local administrations. Several localities have already piloted the new governance model.
Reality is the ultimate benchmark for success, he said, urging drafting agencies to work out policies that foster development, reduce bureaucratic hurdles, and respect practical conditions.
Under the official dispatch signed on June 20, ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, and chairpersons of provincial and municipal People’s Committees are requested to concentrate efforts on implementing core measures to ensure the smooth operations of the new administrative framework.
The Party chief underscored the need for the press to innovate relentlessly, evolve to keep pace with the country's development, transform into a truly professional, humanistic, and modern sector that serves the cause of the Party, the State, and the people on the path to national construction and development.
The UN Secretary-General praised Vietnam’s remarkable achievements in socio-economic development and international integration in recent years, noting that the country has emerged as a model in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), promoting international peace and security, and engaging in key UN processes.
Nghia affirmed that this is a milestone of special significance, affirming and honouring the the Vietnamese revolutionary press’s glorious tradition of 100 years of serving the revolutionary cause of the Party, serving the Fatherland, and serving the people.
The Party and State of Vietnam always attach great importance to and give top priority to the development of Vietnam–China relations. Vietnam is ready to work with the Chinese Party and State to further deepen the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership and promote the building of the Vietnam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.
Under the leadership of President Ho Chi Minh and the CPV, President Cuong said, the press has been a steadfast force on the ideological and cultural front, rallying the masses to pursue national aspirations.
NA Chairman Tran Thanh Man stressed the need to accelerate the application of artificial intelligence and smart teaching equipment, innovate teaching and assessment methods, and further improve the quality of formal education.
He also pledged that the NA will promote its ongoing supervision, making sure that every promise must lead to results, and every commitment must bring about real changes.
Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien welcomed the proposals put forward by the US side and reiterated Vietnam’s request for consideration of key areas of interest, including reciprocal tariff policies and access for Vietnamese key export products to the US market.
Deputy PM Le Thanh Long proposed countries promote shared values, including building trust, sincerity, and solidarity among nations and peoples; fostering cooperation spirit and responsible behaviour as well as upholding international law and the UN Charter; and placing people at the centre and as the goal, the key player, and the driving force of all policies.
The show, together with a grand parade to be held silmutaneously at Ba Dinh Square in Hanoi, will celebrate the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution, the National Day, and the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA).
In particular, in April 2023, the two sides successfully carried out a joint operation that dismantled a major organised, transnational drug trafficking ring involving both Vietnamese and Cambodian suspects.
The Vietnamese Embassy in Israel is closely coordinating with relevant local agencies to stay informed and provide the utmost support possible for Vietnamese nationals.
The launch of Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper in 1925, even before the founding of the Communist Party of Vietnam, is considered a testament to President Ho Chi Minh’s strategic foresight and strong belief in the guiding power of the revolutionary media.
President Nguyen Xuan Phuc witnesses the signing of cooperation agreements between the two countries Photo: VNA) 
