HCMC – Vietnam’s Party General Secretary and State President To Lam arrived in Havana today, September (Hanoi time), for a state visit to Cuba.
The visit follows his participation in the UN General Assembly and other activities in the U.S. This is Lam’s first visit to Cuba in his capacity as Party General Secretary and President of Vietnam. It comes as Vietnam and Cuba approach the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations, established in 1960.
During the visit, Lam is scheduled to meet Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez, National Assembly Chairman Esteban Lazo Hernandez, and Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz. He will also meet with General Raul Castro Ruz.
Lam is set to visit economic sites in Cuba, including Vietnamese investment projects. He will lay wreaths at monuments honoring the late Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh and Cuban national hero Jose Marti, and hold meetings with Cuban and Vietnamese youth.
According to Le Hoai Trung, head of the Party Central Committee’s External Relations Commission, the visit underscores Vietnam’s commitment to strengthening ties with traditional allies. The leaders of both countries are expected to discuss ways to enhance cooperation across various sectors.
Vietnam is Cuba’s second-largest Asian trading partner and its largest Asian investor. Bilateral trade between the two countries reached US$134.7 million in the first eight months of 2024, rocketing 187% over the same period in 2023.
Vietnamese exports to Cuba amounted to US$133.36 million, while imports from Cuba totaled US$1.33 million.
