Vietnam donates 11,500 tons of rice to Cuba, promoting bilateral economic cooperation

According to information from the Vietnamese Embassy in Cuba, of the 11,500 tons of rice, 10,000 tons were gifts during the official visit to Cuba by General Secretary andPresident To Lam in September 2024 and were transported to Mariel port; 1,500 tons were directly transferred during this working trip.

A delegation of the Vietnamese Government handed over 11,500 tons of rice to Cuba at Mariel port. (Photo: Vietnamese Embassy in Cuba)

The handover ceremony took place at Mariel port - Cuba's strategic economic hub and home to many large investment projects of Vietnamese enterprises.

Receiving the delegation, Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz said the visit took place on the occasion of the 95th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the 80th anniversary of National Day, the 50th anniversary of the April 30 Victory and the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Cuba. He called this a “working delegation of brothers”, and highly appreciated Vietnam’s practical support, especially in the field of ensuring food security.

At the meeting, the two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation in the fields of high-tech agriculture, renewable energy, finance - banking and infrastructure investment.

Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz received the delegation. (Photo: Vietnamese Embassy in Cuba)

During the working sessions with the Governor of the Central Bank of Cuba, the Minister of Finance and Prices, the Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment of Cuba, the two sides focused on exchanging measures: promoting financial-banking cooperation, bilateral transactions; providing technical assistance for economic recovery; promoting investment and simplifying procedures for Vietnamese businesses in Cuba.

The delegation visited the Agri VMA rice planting project in Los Palacios district, Pinar del Río province, Cuba. (Photo: Embassy of Vietnam in Cuba)

The delegation also visited a number of outstanding projects of Vietnamese enterprises in Cuba. In the agricultural sector, the delegation visited the Agri VMA rice project in Los Palacios district, Pinar del Río province. Vietnam's CT16 rice variety was put into cultivation, helping to increase productivity to 7.2-10 tons/ha, three times higher than before. The project was highly appreciated by Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel and he proposed to expand it to 400ha by 2025.

In the renewable energy sector, the delegation inspected the 20MW solar park invested by Thai Binh Group in the Mariel Special Zone. The project provides 44.9 million kWh/year, making an important contribution to the modernization of Cuba's electricity sector. Plans to expand the scale to 100MW are underway.

At ViMariel Industrial Park, a 256-hectare project invested by Viglacera Corporation, the delegation worked with the management board and businesses operating in the fields of pharmaceuticals, food and construction materials. The project contributes to creating thousands of jobs for local people and reducing dependence on imported goods.

On this occasion, the delegation visited Ben Tre Village, a symbol of Vietnam - Cuba friendship, named by leader Fidel Castro in 1960. The delegation also laid flowers at Ho Chi Minh Park in the capital city of Havana.

Source: https://thoidai.com.vn/viet-nam-trao-tang-cuba-11500-tan-gao-thuc-day-hop-tac-kinh-te-song-phuong-212553.html