Vietnam-Cuba: 65 years of development together

The year 2025 has been identified by the two countries as the "Vietnam - Cuba Friendship Year", with a series of political, cultural, economic and people-to-people exchange activities to celebrate the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations (December 2, 1960 - December 2, 2025).

General Secretary and President To Lam and First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba and President of Cuba Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez review the Guard of Honor during a State visit to Cuba in September 2024. (Source: VNA)

From the ideological foundation of President Ho Chi Minh and Hero José Martí, the two nations, though geographically distant, different in language and culture, are united by the aspiration for independence, freedom and revolutionary ideals. Sixty-five years is not only a milestone in time but also a symbol of faithful friendship, rare in the history of international relations.

Solidarity in fighting to protect and build the Fatherland

During the war years, Cuba always stood by Vietnam in both words and actions. The immortal declaration of Leader Fidel Castro “For Vietnam, Cuba is willing to sacrifice its blood” entered the hearts of the people of both countries. Cuba was the first country in the Western Hemisphere to establish diplomatic relations with the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, recognized the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam, and established a Solidarity Committee with Vietnam. From Havana, news and movements supporting Vietnam spread throughout Latin America, lighting the fire of solidarity with the Vietnamese people. The image of Fidel Castro visiting the newly liberated area of ​​Quang Tri in 1973 is forever a symbol of noble international solidarity.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Cuba and concurrently to the Dominican Republic Le Quang Long. (Source: Vietnamese Embassy in Cuba)

Despite being besieged and embargoed, Cuba still generously provided Vietnam with hundreds of thousands of tons of goods, foreign currency, equipment and helped Vietnam rebuild after the war with 5 socio-economic projects that are still effective today. Just one year after establishing relations, the first 23 Vietnamese youths went to Cuba to study Spanish, opening the journey of cooperation in training thousands of Vietnamese engineers, doctors and bachelors.

After the war, despite many difficulties, Vietnam still shared and provided food, goods, and technology, helping Cuba overcome the "special period" and accompanying Cuba in updating its socio-economic model. The tradition of "sharing what we have" continued to be affirmed during the Covid-19 pandemic and recently the Movement to Support the Cuban People launched by the Vietnam Red Cross with more than 2 million Vietnamese people and businesses responding. Those gestures not only have humanitarian significance, but also are messages of trust, empathy, and international responsibility between the two brotherly countries.

In the spirit of “fraternal solidarity”, “comprehensive cooperation” and “mutual trust”, the two countries have always maintained in-depth and sincere exchanges of experiences in the development process in each country, turning revolutionary sentiment into practical cooperation strength.

Comprehensive and sustainable cooperation

Over the past 65 years, Vietnam-Cuba relations have been continuously strengthened and expanded in all fields. The two countries have maintained high-level delegation exchanges and signed many cooperation agreements on economics, trade, agriculture, animal husbandry, health, defense, security, culture, education, inter-parliamentary cooperation and local cooperation; at the same time, efforts have been made to overcome difficulties and create a favorable environment for bilateral projects.

The State visits of General Secretary and President To Lam (September 2024) and First Secretary and President Miguel Díaz-Canel (September 2025) opened a new stage of development: Political, defense and security relations are the foundation, economic - trade - investment cooperation is the driving force, local cooperation and people-to-people exchange are the bridge, expanding to renewable energy, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and tourism - towards practical efficiency for the benefit of the people of the two countries.

Vietnam is currently Cuba's second largest trading partner in Asia and the largest foreign investor in Cuba, with notable projects by Viglacera, Thai Binh, and Agri VMA in the Mariel Special Development Zone. More and more Vietnamese enterprises are interested in the investment environment in Cuba.

In agriculture, in the field of strategic cooperation, Vietnam supports Cuba in growing rice and corn and transferring technology, contributing to ensuring food security. The rice development cooperation project (2002 - 2025) has brought about clear results, increasing productivity and continuing to sow "golden seeds of cooperation" in the new period, contributing to supporting Cuba in implementing the Food Sovereignty Strategy.

Biotechnology cooperation projects and programs in medicine and agriculture, combining Cuba's scientific strengths with Vietnam's industrial capacity, are being actively implemented and promise a new direction of cooperation that is practical and deeply humane.

First Secretary and President of Cuba Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez talks with Ambassador Le Quang Long at the 50th Anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification Day organized by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba at the Palace of the Revolution, Havana, April 29, 2025. (Source: Embassy of Vietnam in Cuba)

Unity in the international arena

Vietnam and Cuba always coordinate closely at international forums, especially at the United Nations and the Non-Aligned Movement. Vietnam consistently supports Cuba in its request to lift the unilateral blockade and embargo and remove Cuba from the list of “states sponsoring terrorism”. Cuba always supports Vietnam in international mechanisms, and the two sides coordinate in Cuba’s accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) and its candidacy for the United Nations Human Rights Council.

In the new flow of the times, Vietnam and Cuba both consider nurturing the young generation and nurturing friendship between the youth of the two countries as a key task to inherit and develop the special relationship between the two countries. During the Friendship Year 2025, many exciting exchange activities were organized, such as drawing and writing competitions, youth festivals and the Vietnam - Cuba youth network for peace and sustainable development.

With the connection of the Vietnamese Embassy in Cuba, the visit to Da Nang of Nguyen Van Troi School students (La Habana) left an emotional impression, helping them understand more about the country, people and culture of Vietnam. It is a vivid proof of the vitality of the relationship that is being continued and promoted by the younger generation.

In addition to cooperation between ministries, branches and central organizations, exchanges and connections between localities of the two countries have also been increasingly strengthened, contributing to deepening and substantating the friendship. Hanoi and La Habana, Binh Duong and Artemisa, Dong Nai and Pinar del Rio, and many other localities have established cooperative relations, exchanged delegations, and shared experiences in urban management, industrial development, agriculture, education, culture and youth exchange.

Ambassador Le Quang Long (second from left) visits a rice field under a cooperation project between the two sides in Cuba. (Source: VNA)

Shining symbol of the 21st century

Over the past 65 years, the Vietnam - Cuba friendship has demonstrated the strong vitality of a relationship built on ideals, trust and action.

At each working session and business trip to Cuban agencies, organizations and localities, the Ambassador and Embassy staff were warmly welcomed and sincerely affirmed the brotherly relationship between the two countries. Cuban leaders, officials and many Cuban people expressed their joy and pride in Vietnam's achievements, considering them a source of encouragement for their own journey of innovation.

In the context of a changing world, Vietnam and Cuba still accompany, share and help each other like two blood brothers. With a solid foundation, the wise leadership of the two Parties and the continuation of the younger generation, the Vietnam - Cuba relationship will certainly become increasingly strong, becoming a shining symbol of international friendship in the 21st century.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/viet-nam-cuba-65-nam-dong-hanh-cung-phat-trien-336323.html