Minister of Construction Pham Hong Ha speaks at the groundbreaking ceremony of the first industrial park in Mariel Special Economic Development Zone (ZEDM) in Cuba. (Photo: VNA)Havana (VNA) – ViMariel S.A – a subsidiary of Vietnam Glass and Ceramicsfor Construction Corporation (Viglacera) – began construction of the firstindustrial park in Mariel Special Economic Development Zone (ZEDM) in Cuba onNovember 28.
Thegroundbreaking ceremony was attended by Vice President of the Councils of Stateand Ministers Ramiro Valdes Menendez and Minister of Foreign Trade andInvestment Rodrigo Malmierca Diaz from Cuba alongside Vietnam’s Minister ofConstruction Pham Hong Ha and Ambassador to Cuba Nguyen Trung Thanh.
Addressing theevent, Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment Rodrigo Malmierca Diaz spoke highlyof the project, saying its construction begins with the 36th meetingof the Vietnam – Cuba Inter-Governmental Committee taking place in Havana fromNovember 26 – 30.
He alsoexpressed his confidence in the success of the “strategic” project which wasdescribed as “special” in the two countries’ relations.
Minister ofConstruction Pham Hong Ha, for his part, said long-standing ties betweenVietnam and Cuba have laid a strong foundation for Viglacera to carry out thisproject. He expected the project would meet the needs for development of bothnations.
ViMariel S.Awas established by Viglacera in February 2018. The firm has obtained rights to build an industrial park with completeroad, telecommunications, water supply and electricity infrastructure on anarea of 156 hectares in the ZEDM. It was authorised to exploit the industrialpark for 50 years.
The construction of the industrial park will cost about 300million USD and is expected to be complete after five years.
The project is a result of General Secretary of the CommunistParty of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong’s State visit to Cuba in March, 2018.
It is the first fixed-term operation and maintenance project Cubahas granted to a fully foreign-owned company in the ZEDM.
In 2016, Viglacera entered into a joint venturepartnership with Cuban developer Geicon to manufacture building materials inCuba, of which, Viglacera is responsible for upgrading two existingceramics and sanitary ware plants and investing in two more, four years afterthe joint venture is operational. –VNA
VNA
