Special friendship between Vietnam and Cuba

“The special friendship between Vietnam and Cuba is a priceless treasure for both peoples,” said Dr. Ruvislei González Saez, Vice President of the Cuba-Vietnam Friendship Association, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the first visit of Cuban Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro to Vietnam and the newly liberated areas of southern Vietnam (September 1973).

Doctor of Economics Ruvislei González Sáez. Photo: Le Ha/VNA correspondent in Cuba

According to VNA, Dr. González Saez, who is also the Director of the International Relations Program in Cuba, emphasized the significance of September throughout the history of relations between the two countries. On September 12, 1973, exactly 50 years ago, President Fidel visited Vietnam, becoming the first and only head of government to visit the liberated zone of southern Vietnam. Ten years earlier, on September 25, 1963, Cuba established the first Solidarity Committee with Vietnam.

Dr. González Saez emphasized that September is a special month in bilateral relations, a time to pause and reflect on the close feelings between the two peoples, which are a model in international relations, to begin opening a new page in the history of brotherly solidarity between Cuba and Vietnam. Despite the geographical distance, Cuba and Vietnam have persisted in raising the level of their historical relationship in all aspects. The feelings between the two peoples are not political but are genuine brotherhood, coming from the heart.

The Cuban expert emphasized that anniversaries like this September are an opportunity for young people to understand how their ancestors have worked hard to build and nurture friendship over time, passing it from generation to generation. Reviewing important milestones in the relationship since the two countries officially established diplomatic relations on December 2, 1960, the Cuban researcher said that 1963 was an important year marking Havana's high commitment to Hanoi. The historic leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro, assigned the heroine of Moncada - Melba Hernández - to organize a movement to unite and support the struggle for the liberation of southern Vietnam.

Meanwhile, in an article posted on reporteasia.com, Dr. Vijay Sakhuja, Director of the Center for Policy Research, Council of World Affairs (India), commented that Vietnam and Cuba have maintained a special, pure and loyal friendship, which is very rare in international relations.

According to Mr. Sakhuja, Vietnam's Doi Moi process and Cuba's socio-economic model update complement each other in both theory and practice. Leaders of the two countries have actively promoted bilateral economic and trade cooperation. Although the current trade value is modest, at around 250-300 million USD, the two-way turnover between Vietnam and Cuba is fully capable of reaching 500 million USD by 2025.

nhandan.vn