Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh held a reception for Cuban Ambassador Orlando Nicolas Hernandez Guillen in Hanoi on July 29 and the Party, State and people of Vietnam will donate 10,000 tonnes of rice to the Party, State and people of Cuba to partly share the country's difficulties at present.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (R) welcomes Cuban Ambassador to Vietnam Orlando Nicolas Hernandez Guillen in Hanoi. Photo: VOV

In recent years, Vietnamese and Cuban ministries and sectors have joined hands together to overcome difficulties brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, while reinforcing and developing cooperation in all fields, noted the PM.

The two sides recalled the fruitful outcomes of telephone talks between Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee and President of Cuba Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermudez on May 5 and July 27, as well as talks between PM Chinh and his Cuban counterpart Manuel Marrero Cruz on July 1.

On the basis of high-level agreements between the two countries, PM Chinh asked Ambassador Orlando Nicolas Hernandez Guillen to coordinate with ministries, sectors and agencies of both sides to effectively implement orientations and measures to strengthen the traditional solidarity and friendship and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries, according to VNA.

He underlined the significance of bilateral cooperation and experience sharing in clinical trials, licencing and transferring of Cuba’s COVID-19 vaccine production technology in Vietnam following agreements reached in the recent talks between the Vietnamese and Cuban PMs.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh receives Cuban Ambassador Orlando Nicolas Hernandez Guillen. Photo: VNA

On the occasion, PM Chinh announced that Vietnam will present Cuba 10,000 tonnes of rice, while Hanoi also offers Havana 2,000 tonnes of rice with a hope of easing difficulties facing Cuban people amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh made the announcement while receiving Cuban Ambassador to Vietnam Orlando Nicolas Hernandez Guillen in Hanoi on July 29.

He also said the capital of Hanoi will decide to donate 2,000 tonnes of rice to Havana capital, adding that the gift will be delivered to Cuba at an earliest possible time.

Welcoming the Ambassador to Vietnam for his new working term, Chinh affirmed that the Government will direct ministries and branches to support and create favourable conditions for the ambassador to fulfill his duty in Vietnam.

Vietnam attaches great importance to the close and trustful friendship with Cuba, which was founded and nurtured by President Ho Chi Minh and Fidel Castro as well as by generations of leaders and people of the two countries, he said.

He recalled the results of recent high-level phone talks between the two countries’ senior leaders and suggested that Ambassador Guillen coordinate closely with Vietnamese and Cuban agencies to effectively implement directions and measures to strengthen bilateral cooperation in all fields.

The Prime Minister especially emphasized the cooperation and sharing of experience in early supply and transfer of Cuban COVID-19 vaccine production technology to Vietnam as agreed by the two PMs during their July 1 phone calls.

PM Chinh announced Vietnam's decision to donate 10,000 tonnes of rice to Cuba. Photo: VOV

For his part, Ambassador Guillen thanked the Party, State and people of Vietnam as well as Hanoi capital for the rice donation, which he said demonstrates the special traditional friendship between Vietnam and Cuba, reported the VOV.

The Ambassador agreed with PM Chinh’s assessment and affirmed that he would make efforts to further consolidate and deepen the special traditional friendship, brotherly solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.

He vowed to work closely with relevant agencies of the two countries to promote cooperation in vaccine production in Vietnam.

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Tarah Nguyen