You and I may have been given Cuban cow's milk and antibiotics in times of hardship.

The Vietnam - Cuba relationship has a long history and a rare depth and affection between two peoples who, despite being geographically far apart, are connected in the revolutionary flow. The Vietnam - Cuba relationship has continuously developed over the years, without any lulls or interruptions, but only with innovations in content and forms of expression appropriate to the specific context.

Mr. Nguyen Viet Thao and President of the Cuba-Vietnam Friendship Association, Ms. Maria Yolanda Ferrer. (Photo: Provided by the character)

Vietnam - Cuba special relationship

In an interview with VTC News, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Viet Thao - former Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics , Permanent Vice President of the Vietnam - Cuba Friendship Association, said that the driving force for the exemplary relationship between Vietnam and Cuba must first of all be the two countries' common goals, ideals and revolutionary paths. Both pursue the path of national independence and socialism, against colonialism and imperialism.

Mr. Thao was moved to recall that during the years we fought against the US, Cuba also faced many difficulties, but you gave us not only great and steadfast political support, but you also provided us with essential goods and supplies, including sugar, food, medicine...

Cuba also helped our army find the necessary equipment to open the Truong Son road and the Ho Chi Minh trail, serving the war against the US, saving the country and liberating Vietnam. The whole country and the whole world , including the people of the two countries, will always remember the words of President Fidel Castro: For Vietnam, the Cuban people are willing to sacrifice their blood.

In particular, your kind support, a piece of food when hungry is worth a package when full, has been the building blocks, warming the relationship in the 20th century between the two nations, creating the premise for the valuable and necessary support between the two countries at the present time.

According to Mr. Thao, Cuba never gives surplus goods to help brotherly countries. Cuba does not have any surplus material. Cuba spends its meager material resources, even though it is still in need, to help the people of other countries.

This is what is especially valuable, in line with the spirit of our Vietnam: The less torn leaves help the more torn leaves. "Therefore, every time we talk about Cuba's help, aid, and international sentiment towards Vietnam, we are always moved," said Mr. Thao.

More than 1 million doses of Cuba's Abdala vaccine arrived in Hanoi in 2021.

In Cuba, many schools, avenues, and parks are named after Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh, Nguyen Van Troi, Vo Thi Sau, Ben Tre... In the capital Havana alone, there are more than 150 agencies and headquarters named after Vietnam. There are many Cubans with Vietnamese names, such as Lien, Ha, Minh...

Vietnam and Cuba continue to help each other with new contents and forms, suitable to the context of each period. In terms of content, the two countries help each other in practical matters. If in the past Cuba shared with Vietnam every kilo of sugar, today we are ready to share with Cuba every grain of rice. Cuba not only has difficulty with foreign currency but also with imports due to the embargo. Vietnam has contributed to ensuring food security for Cuba.

Vietnam encourages businesses to invest and do business in Cuba, producing essential goods in Cuba. Among them, Viglacera produces porcelain products, Thai Binh Company produces soap, shampoo and soap products to ensure enough for Cuba to use...

In recent decades, Vietnam has sent many expert delegations to implement projects. Among them is the rice planting project, because Cuba has good soil and rice growing areas. Vietnamese experts have come to guide and transfer techniques and technology so that the neighboring country can grow rice on its own.

General Secretary To Lam and his wife during his visit to Cuba.

These economic cooperation projects have received special attention from senior Vietnamese leaders.

In the international arena, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Viet Thao said that Vietnam has always shown a spirit of support and has taken actions to "stand shoulder to shoulder" with Cuba. Accordingly, at the United Nations General Assembly, Vietnam has always accompanied and stood side by side with Cuba not only in terms of viewpoints but also in terms of voice. Vietnam has taken the lead in speaking out strongly and consistently in requesting the US Government to end the embargo. Many countries have also analyzed and pointed out that the US embargo policy against Cuba is outdated and does not reflect the issue of civilized world political life.

“I have attended many international forums supporting Cuba. The US representatives and progressive socio-political organizations of this country have all spoken out strongly, even feeling ashamed of their country's outdated policies. Cuba has the whole world standing by its side. Since the success of the Cuban revolution, more than 10 US presidents have implemented an embargo against Cuba, but all have failed,” Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Viet Thao emphasized.

Providing millions of vaccine doses to Vietnam

In particular, the Permanent Vice President of the Vietnam - Cuba Friendship Association emphasized: "During the resistance war against colonialism and imperialism, we had successful economic, trade, education, training, science, technology, and cultural relations, which is a very valuable premise. Currently, the two sides are actively seeking new frameworks, new forms, and new measures to continue to improve the effectiveness of cooperation in addition to political relations and special heights."

He gave an example, in times when each side faced risks, difficulties, uncertainties, natural disasters, storms, floods, fires, epidemics, etc., the mutual assistance between the two countries was extremely grateful, selfless, and pure. The Vietnamese people have carried out many material donation campaigns, although not large, but full of sentiment, with a warm brotherly love to help the Cuban people.

Likewise, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Cuba was willing to transfer all vaccine production technology to Vietnam, and then prioritize millions of vaccine doses for Vietnam.

These are very vivid manifestations in the new period of the special friendship and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Cuba.

Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Viet Thao said that despite facing many difficulties, Cuba has done very special things.

“Despite the US embargo, the country and people of Cuba remain resilient. Cuba still maintains high-quality education and health care, free for all people. Most cultural, artistic and sports activities are also free. I have never seen a malnourished child or sad faces in Cuba. Cubans are very cheerful and ready to face the difficulties ahead,” Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Viet Thao said.

During his visit to the liberated area of Quang Tri in September 1973, Cuban President Fidel Castro raised the traditional flag.

According to Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Viet Thao, Cuba has many achievements that the world must admire. There is a very strange thing, especially a miracle, that Cuba continues to develop the spearhead of science and technology as a source of pride, including pharmaceuticals and health care.

Recently, I visited the Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology - where 5 types of vaccines against COVID-19 and many other treatment drugs are produced.

“Cuba is the only developing country in the world that produces its own COVID-19 vaccine for its people and helps nearly 50 countries in the world, including many developed countries like Italy, and provides completely free assistance,” Mr. Thao shared.

While China and the US and Western countries can only produce and prepare a specific vaccine to prevent COVID-19 after obtaining live biological products from F0 patients based on gene sequencing, Cuba has produced a vaccine before the country recorded its first COVID-19 case. This means that Cuba does not produce vaccines based on live biological products, but on a purely theoretical basis. This shows that the level of Cuban medical scientists is very high.

Scientists here feel the impact of the blockade and ban from the US and the West every day and every hour. To produce biological products and vaccines, countries must import many input devices from outside, but due to the US embargo, Cuba not only cannot receive these devices from the US but also from many other partners. However, Cuba still produces 5 types of vaccines, including Abdala, which has been injected in Vietnam. This is a very miraculous achievement.

Vtcnews.vn

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/ban-va-toi-co-the-da-duoc-uong-sua-bo-tiem-khang-sinh-cuba-giua-luc-kho-khan-ar959969.html