Vietnam and Cuba have stood side by side overcoming the most difficult times in the two nations’ histories. In the period 1959-1975 while the Vietnamese waged a resistance war against American invaders, the Cubans were consolidating their national independence. During the historical period, the Vietnamese Party, State and people always kept in mind a perception that every victory achieved by the Vietnamese in the Southern theater served as sources of encouragement and support for the Cuban revolution in particular and international revolution. Likewise, the more achievements the Cuban revolution obtained, the more supports the Cubans could render to the Vietnamese revolution and international revolution. As a result, Vietnam pursued a constant policy of totally backing Cuba’s viewpoint on the defense of its sovereignty and territorial integrity, its profound socio-economic development reform, and its foreign policy.
General Ngo Xuan Lich, Minister of National Defense (R) receiving Senior Lieutenant General Leopoldo Cintra Frias, Minister of the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces in Hanoi in March 2017
For its part, Cuba was also well aware of the significant position of the Vietnamese revolution in the international revolution for national liberation and its positive impacts on the Cuban revolution and international revolution. The Cubans restlessly showed their great unity and provided timely and effective supports for the Vietnamese in their struggle against foreign invaders.
The Vietnam visit of President Fidel Castro in September 1973 and his trip to a liberated zone in South Vietnam, which marked the first foreign State leader’s visit to Vietnam after the Paris Peace Accords on Vietnam signed on January 27, 1973, should be viewed as a vivid demonstration of the time-tested faithful friendship between Cuba and Vietnam. All Vietnamese and Cuban people will never forget the great Cuban leader’s famous saying, “For Vietnam, we are ready to shed our blood.” The saying at the time became an ultimate order to every Cuban but made all Vietnamese people feel touched.
Standing side by side to overcome difficulties
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, socialist countries, including Vietnam and Cuba, had to face a historical challenge. The two Parties and peoples of Cuba and Vietnam united in protecting, consolidating and developing socialism in each country; and once again the pure internationalism of true revolutionaries brightened the history of Vietnam-Cuba relations and comprehensive cooperation, particularly on politics, economics, culture, science and technology.
Considering the unity and support for Cuba as an order of heart and an immutable principle, the Party, Sate and people of Vietnam mobilized and shared part of the country’s valuable economic resources with the Cubans, helping them overcome their special economic difficulties. Many movements such as 20 thousand tons of rice; five million pens and notebooks; and 5,000 sets of clothing, were carried out widely in Vietnam. The gifts from the Vietnamese to the Cubans were small in value and volume but significant as they were soaked with compassion and sentiment of Vietnamese people. Vietnam and Cuba actively promoted economic and trade cooperation in new forms and with new contents and mechanisms in accordance with the ongoing economic reforms of the two countries, contributing to cementing the traditional unity and friendship and improving the efficiency of bilateral cooperation between Vietnam and Cuba.
Today, Vietnam and Cuba have expanded their relations and cooperation on many spheres, particularly agriculture, industry, oil and gas, construction, culture, education, science and technology. The two-way trade value between Vietnam and Cuba stands at USD 150-300 million.
Vietnam successfully implemented a project to grow rice at the household level in Cuba until 2015 to ensure food security for the country. The project was highly valued by the Cuban side. The military-run Telecommunications Group Viettel signed a memorandum of understanding with the Cuban Telecommunication Corporation Etesa in February 2013. Under the deal, Viettel is always ready to invest in Cuba’s telecommunications development while the Cuban side continues assisting Vietnam in developing its sugar cane industry and medical programs.
Leaders of the two Parties, States and militaries frequently exchange visits with the aim of deepening brotherly relations and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries, making an increasingly effective and practical contribution to the revolutionary cause of each country. Vietnam’s achievements in its comprehensive reform and Cuba’s successes in its “Updated economic model” and recent good outcomes in foreign relations have created a new position and strength for each country on the one hand, and opened opportunities for bilateral cooperation on trade, economics and investment on the other hand, contributing to common efforts for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the two regions and world.
Defense ties serving as a pillar
Defense ties between the two countries were established early in the history of the bilateral relations, and have been strengthened ever since, on the basis of close friendship, comradeship and brotherhood. Currently, bilateral defense ties are seeking to develop, based on the strengths and needs of each side, in a deep, specific, effective and practical manner. The two sides are boosting cooperation on defense industry, engineering, electronic warfare and personnel training. Cooperation on defense industry just started some years ago, but has now been central to bilateral defense ties between the two countries.
In the time to come, the two sides have determined defense cooperation as an important pillar in the bilateral relations. The two sides will boost exchange of defense delegations at all levels; strengthen dialogue mechanisms; increase exchange of experience in force building and political and ideological education; and promote cooperation on personnel training, defense industry and military medicine. The defense cooperation will foster bilateral relations between the two countries and bring about more fruitful results to the two countries, satisfying the aspirations and interests of the two nations.
Translated by Thu Nguyen