Q: Could you please brief us on the outcomes of President Quang’s official visit to Cuba?
A: The official visit to Cuba by President Tran Dai Quang and his spouse and a high-level Party and State delegation took place shortly after Vietnam and Cuba had each successfully organised a National Party Congress and adopted a strategy for national construction and defence in the context of the new situation in the world. Cuba was the first country in the Western Hemisphere that President Quang visited as State President. The leaders, former leaders and people of Cuba welcomed the President and the Vietnamese delegation in a very warm atmosphere. That reflected the tradition and the determination of the two sides to continue to deepen the relationship, brotherhood and comprehensive cooperation between the two Parties, States and peoples, whose foundations were laid by President Ho Chi Minh and Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro.
The two countries agreed to increase contacts between their Party and State leaders, continue to work closely together on defence, security and external affairs and to educate young generations of Vietnamese and Cubans on the two countries’ historic bonds of brotherhood. They underscored the importance of the Vietnam-Cuba intergovernmental committee on cooperation on economics and trade and science and technology and expressed their resolve to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the mechanism. Both demonstrated the attention they paid to promoting mutually beneficial investment and committed to actualising investment and cooperative projects being negotiated soon. The two sides also agreed to continue pushing relevant agencies to implement the mid-term agenda on the economy signed in March 2014, with a view to deepening and broadening economic, trade and investment ties to bring practical benefits to their countries.
The visit was a great success, contributing to further strengthening the relationship and the special bond between the two Parties and States, at the same time creating a new impetus and prospects for increasing economic, trade and investment in the time ahead, especially as Cuba gradually removes impediments to business and establishes a more open production and business environment.
Q: Could you tell us about the outstanding results and significance of the sixteenth Francophonie summit, which took place in Antananarivo, Madagascar from November 26-27?
A: The sixteenth Francophonie summit took place in the context of complicated developments in the world and the Francophone community, including a decline in economic growth while traditional and non-traditional security challenges grow. The international community has begun to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
In this context, the foremost result of this summit was that the leaders have confirmed their determination to strengthen solidarity and cooperation to deal with traditional and non-traditional security challenges effectively, for peace, security and sustainable development. Under the theme “Shared Growth and Responsible Development: Conditions for Stability around the World and within the Francophonie,” the member countries also ratified the Antananarivo Statement and thirteen resolutions, talked about the community’s future plans for the fields of peace, security, counterterrorism, language and cultural diversity, economic cooperation and sustainable development, among others.
They talked about the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and the commitments made in the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, suggested specific measures to accelerate the implementation of the Strategic Framework of the Francophonie for 2015–2022, the Francophonie’s youth strategy and the Francophonie Economic Strategy, with a focus on empowering women and the youth. The summit admitted New Caledonia (France) as an associate member and Argentina, the Republic of Korea, and Ontario (Canada) as observers, raising its total number of members and observers from 80 to 84.
With those results, the sixteenth Francophonie summit successfully concluded, confirming the role and position of the Francophonie as an important multilateral forum on the international arena.
Q: What can you say about Vietnam's contributions to the summit’s success?
A: First of all, it should be confirmed that the Francophonie holds an important position in Vietnam’s foreign policy of multilateralisation and diversification. The Francophone community also attaches great importance to Vietnam’s role and contribution. Vietnam was the only representative from the Asia-Pacific to be invited to deliver a speech at the opening session of the summit.
At the opening ceremony, President Tran Dai Quang underscored the message of promoting cooperation and strengthening solidarity for peace, stability and sustainable development. As an active and responsible member of the Francophone community, Vietnam has proactively implemented the community’s strategies and cooperation programmes, thereby helping to solidify solidarity, unity and cooperation among OIF members, he noted. Vietnam welcomed the summit’s theme and called on member countries to enhance cooperation and solidarity for peace, stability and sustainable development.
President Tran Dai Quang also called on the Francophone community to promote the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change while helping its member nations to include the Sustainable Development Goals and the commitments in the Paris Agreement in their strategies and programmes for national development. The OIF countries also need to actively participate in global and regional efforts to promote peace, security and stability in member nations and the world at large.
President Quang asked the Francophone community to continue being an objective voice on the East Sea issue and calling on relevant parties not to use force or threaten to use force, to settle disputes by peaceful means on the basis of international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, to respect diplomatic and legal processes, to adhere to the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea and to work to finalise a Code of Conduct in the East Sea soon.
Q: On the sidelines of the summit, President Tran Dai Quang engaged in a wide range of bilateral activities with the host country, Madagascar, and the heads of other delegations. Could you please brief us on the results of these activities?
A: President Tran Dai Quang was given an official welcoming ceremony on his arrival in Madagascar. During the talks between President Tran Dai Quang and his Malagasy counterpart, Hery Rajaonarimampianina, the host leader underlined the importance of President Quang’s visit as this was the first time his country had welcomed a Vietnamese President. President Quang affirmed that Vietnam was ready to cooperate with Madagascar in the fields it is strong in and for which Madagascar has demand, especially agriculture, trade and investment. He asked both sides to sign important agreements soon, such as those on double-taxation avoidance and the encouragement and protection of investment, so as to create a legal framework for business and investment partnerships. The two Presidents also agreed to direct their respective agriculture ministries to expedite the organisation of meetings to devise concrete cooperation projects. They agreed to continue coordination at international forums, especially within the framework of the UN and the Non-Aligned Movement.
Also during his stay in Madagascar, President Quang laid a wreath at Ho Chi Minh Square in downtown Antananarivo. He thanked the Malagasy government for helping to renovate the complex of President Ho Chi Minh’s statue at the square, noting that the complex was a symbol of the countries’ time-honoured amity and that it demonstrated the Malagasy people’s sentiment towards the late leader of Vietnam. Talking to Vietnamese-Malagasies, he assured them that the Vietnamese Party, State and people always consider Malagasies of Vietnamese origin an integral part of the country. He also acknowledged their contributions to the development of Vietnam and expressed his hope that they would maintain their solidarity and work harder for the sake of Madagascar and bilateral relations.
On the occasion of the summit, the Vietnam-Madagascar Business Forum was held successfully for the first time. President Quang also met with the Secretary General of the International Organisation of La Francophonie, as well as officials from several member states, to discuss issues of mutual concern and to promote bilateral cooperation.
