Hanoi (VNA) – President Nguyen Xuan Phuc’svisit to Cuba, attendance at a general debate of the United Nations GeneralAssembly’s 76th session, and bilateral activities in the US aim todemonstrate Vietnam as a friend and trustworthy partner of the internationalcommunity.

The President leads a high-raking delegation of theVietnamese Party and State to pay an official visit to Cuba from September 18to 20.

The visit is made at the invitation of MiguelDíaz-Canel, First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba’s Central Committeeand Cuban President.

Later, from September 21 to 24, the President and theVietnamese delegation will attend a general debate of the UN General Assembly’s76th session and hold a number of bilateral activities in the US.

The trip is set to boost the special traditional friendshipbetween Vietnam and Cuba, and deepen relations between Vietnam and othercountries and international organisations.

It is also expected to send a message of a dynamic andpeace-loving Vietnam that advocates for multilateralism and works to practicallycontribute to the UN and the international community.

Rare, special relations

Vietnam and Cuba established diplomatic ties onDecember 2, 1960. The special friendship between the two Parties, States andpeoples have been consolidated by generations of Vietnamese and Cuban leaders.

Over the past years, the two countries have paid dueattention to strengthening the solidarity, time-honoured friendship and comprehensivecooperation.

They have maintained the regular exchange of visits, notablythe visits to Cuba by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in April 2012and March 2018, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung in March 2014, President TruongTan Sang in September 2015, President Tran Dai Quang in November 2016 andNational Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan in November 2016 to paytribute to leader Fidel Castro.

Presidents Fidel Castro and Raul Castro also visitedVietnam in February 2003 and July 2012, respectively, while President of the CubanNational Assembly Esteban Lazo Hernández paid a visit to the Southeast Asiannation in June 2017.

Given the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Vietnameseand Cuban high-ranking leaders and officials from ministries and agencies haveengaged in online exchanges, with the latest online talks between PartyGeneral Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong and First Secretary ofthe Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) Central Committee Raul Castro Ruz in February,Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and First Secretary of the (PCC) CentralCommittee and President of Cuba Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermudez in May and July, PresidentNguyen Xuan Phuc and First Secretary of the (PCC) Central Committee andPresident of Cuba Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermudez in August, and Prime Minister PhamMinh Chinh and his Cuban counterpart Manuel Marrero Cruz in July.

At the same time, the two sides have effectively implementedcooperation mechanisms, including the inter-governmental committee.

It is noteworthy that the Vietnam-Cuba trade agreement,signed on November 9, 2018, officially came into force as from April 1, 2020with a range of commitments.

In agriculture, Vietnam has supported Cuba throughmany programmes and projects, focusing on rice, corn and soybean production, andaquaculture.

Vietnamese enterprises have stepped up investments intelecoms, infrastructure development and constructional materials. They have showngreater interest in the investment amid changes in economic management policyand investment environment in the Caribbean nation.  

Vietnam and Cuba have also maintained theircooperation and mutual support at international organisations and multi-lateralforums, especially the UN.

Raising Vietnam’s image, position  

Vietnam officially joined the UN on September 20, 1977.The relationship has contributed to protecting and promoting national interests,consolidating a peaceful, secure and favourable environment in service ofnational development, boosting international integration, raising Vietnam’s positionand image in the international arena, and deepening ties between Vietnam andother countries, key partners and friends.

The two sides have actively implemented the 2017-2021 OneStrategic Plan within the framework of the “One UN” initiative signed in July2017, helping the Vietnamese Government realise the socio-economic developmentplan for 2016-2020, and sustainable development goals (SDGs).

During the COVID-19 combat, Vietnam has received morethan 12 million vaccine doses via the COVAX Facility.

UN organisations have assisted Vietnam in differentareas and given recommendations to the country.

In response, Vietnam has played an active role in UNefforts to deal with issues regarding regional and international peace andsecurity, and human rights. It is the 10th country to ratify the Treatyon the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

Vietnam has sent a total of 243 officers to UN peacekeepingmissions in South Sudan, the Central African Republic, and the Department of PeacekeepingOperations in New York, and deployed three second-level field hospitals inSouth Sudan.

The UN also holds Vietnam in high regard in terms ofthe percentage of female personnel in peacekeeping operations.

Vietnam officially won the election to become anon-permanent member of the UN Security Council (UNSC) for 2020-2021 aftergetting 192 votes out of the 193 member countries and territories.

The country has actively contributed to common activitiesof the UNSC, worked to promote bilateral ties with UNSC members, and carriedforward its role as a non-permanent member of the UNSC and ASEAN Chair 2020 atthe same time.

Vietnam has continued to actively cooperate with UNmechanisms on human rights, and is running for a seat in the UN HumanRights Council for the 2023-2025 term.

The country has also coordinated with the UN in thefight against the COVID-19 pandemic, and proposed designating December 27 as InternationalDay of Epidemic Preparedness, which has been approved by the UN GeneralAssembly.  

Vietnam contributed 50,000 USD to the World HealthOrganisation (WHO)’s COVID-19 response fund, and 500,000 USD to the COVAX programme.For the first, Vietnam successfully received and treated a UN staff memberinfected with COVID-19 under the medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) mechanism.

A MEDEVAC centre would be established in Vietnam inthe future after the two sides reached consensus./.