The discussion was among key points Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and Cuban FM Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla exchanged during their talks in Havana on March 29, on the sidelines of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Nguyen Phu Trong’s State visit to Cuba from March 28-31.
Deputy PM Minh spoke highly of the close Vietnam-Cuba relations which have been strengthened through regular exchanges of visits at all levels and across multiple fields.
The bilateral ties in economics and trade have grown steadily, he said, noting that two-way trade amounted to US$240 million in 2017 and the two sides have maintained effective bilateral cooperation mechanisms with close links at international organisations and multilateral forums.
Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla, for his part, said he wants both sides to continue their close coordination to boost their bilateral and multilateral relations in the time ahead.
He expressed his support for the fifth political consultation between the two foreign ministries set to take place this year and vowed to work closely with the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs to organise celebrations of the 45th anniversary of Cuban Leader Fidel Castro’s historic visit to a newly-liberated area in Quang Tri in 1973.
The two sides said they are ready to cooperate on the implementation of agreements reached during this visit. They later exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual interest and agreed on the importance of settling territorial disputes through peaceful means, without the use of force or threats to use force, with respect for diplomatic and legal processes, in line with international laws and related UN conventions.
Deputy PM Minh invited his host to make an official visit to Vietnam, which was duly accepted by Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla.
