During the two-day
meeting, the committee is expected to review the implementation of the 34th
meeting’s minutes and put forward specific measures to increase the efficiency
of the committee’s operations and the two countries’ cooperation in the time
ahead.
The Vietnam-Cuba Inter-Governmental Committee convening its 35th
meeting in Hanoi on October 2. Photo: baoxaydung.com.vn
In opening the meeting,
Minister Ha, who is also co-chair of the Vietnam-Cuba Inter-Governmental
Committee, said the bilateral relations are currently at the best development
period and have been expanded in all fields, from politics, diplomacy to
economy, science and technology.
Cooperative projects on
rice, corn, soybean and coffee plantation and aquatic farming in Cuba have
produced positive results, thus helping the country increase production yield
and ensure food security.
The two countries are
negotiating and plan to conclude negotiations on a new trade agreement in the
fourth quarter of
Many Vietnamese firms,
including Viglacera, Hanel, Tin Thanh and Thai Binh, have worked closely with
Cuban partners to get licenses for their investment in Cuba in construction
materials, consumer goods, hotel, and renewable energy.
Regarding cooperative
measures in the time ahead, Minister Ha stressed the need to give priority to
the signing of the new trade agreement, the fifth phase of the rice development
project (2017-2020) to be implemented in 2018, and the implementation of the
coffee development project.
He also urged the two
sides to reach agreement on specific contents for cooperation in tourism,
health care, production of vaccines and medicine, science and technology,
telecoms, and cultural exchange.
At the meeting, both
sides pledged to create favorable conditions to speed up the implementation of
investment projects, and discuss cooperation possibilities in potential aspects
such as tourism and medical tourism.
Cuban Minister of Foreign
Trade and Investment Rodrigo Malmierca Díaz emphasised important achievements
in trade ties between the two countries.
Last year, Vietnam was
the second largest trade partner of Cuba in the Asia-Pacific region, and tenth
in terms of the total trade turnover of Cuba with other countries.
Two-way trade posted a
year-on-year rise of 4.7 percent in the first eight months of this year, with
rice remaining the most important commodity.
Notably, Cuba’s
pharmaceutical and biotechnological products are now available in Vietnam.
However, the quantity has yet to meet potential, he said.
Therefore, he said he
hopes Cuba will continue intensifying cooperation with Vietnam in
pharmaceuticals and health.
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