Minister of Science and Technology Huynh Thanh Dat has a meeting with Cuban Deputy Prime Minister Ines Maria Chapman Waughn. Photo: VNA

Science-technology

Minister of Science and Technology Huynh Thanh Dat had a meeting with Cuban Deputy Prime Minister Ines Maria Chapman Waughn, and a discussion with Minister of Science, Technology and Environment of Cuba Elba Roza Perez Montolla, on April 21 (local time), VietnamPlus reported.

Previously, on April 20, Dat and his Cuban counterpart signed a Plan to implement the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on science and technology cooperation between the two countries, which was inked in 2018 during the official visit to Cuba by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

During their meeting, Deputy PM Waughn and Minister Dat focused their discussion on science and technology cooperation between the two countries in recent years and the main contents of the plan.

The Vietnamese official expressed the desire to further promote cooperation between the two countries in the field of biotechnology, and pledged to give necessary resources to successfully implement commitments signed by the two sides.

He took the occasion to invite Cuban biotech companies to invest in Vietnam's hi-tech parks.

For her part, Waughn spoke highly of Vietnam’s outstanding development, with the contribution of science and technology, affirming that the Cuban Government has always paid attention to developing science and technology, and recognised the results of sci-technology cooperation between the two countries.

She urged the two ministries to enhance cooperation in biotechnology, and information technology, and called on the Vietnamese ministry to support Cuba in building the Global Innovation Index (GII).

She invited the Vietnamese ministry to attend an international conference on science, technology and innovation scheduled for September 16-17 this year.

The two sides agreed to deepen their cooperation in science and technology, contributing to further tightening the special cooperation between Vietnam and Cuba, bringing long-term benefits to the community of scientists and the people of both nations.

Culture, tourism

At the talks between Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung and Minister of Tourism Juan Carlos García Granda. Photo: VNA

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung on April 21 held separate talks with Cuban Minister of Culture Alpidio Alonso Grau and Minister of Tourism Juan Carlos García Granda in Havana.

Minister of Culture Alpidio Alonso Grau informed Minister Hung that Cuba will host a forum of culture ministers of the G-77 plus China from May 3-5, aiming to adopt a joint statement affirming the role and contribution of culture to sustainable development. He invited the Vietnamese minister to attend the event and contribute to the compilation of the joint statement, considering Vietnam’s achievements in conserving and promoting cultural values.

Minister Hung spoke highly of Cuba’s Presidency of the G77 and affirmed support of Cuba’s efforts to prepare for the important forum. He accepted the invitation to attend the forum and planned to deliver an important speech in the online format.

Hung welcomed Cuba’s policy to develop cultural industries and suggested that Cuba consider develop performance products for export. He said his ministry is willing to provide information to and connect firms that are interested in investing in this aspect.

The two ministers also discussed other cooperation possibilities, including Vietnam’s support for Cuba in researching the production of musical equipment, the translation of Vietnamese books and documents on arts and culture to introduce to Cuban people, sharing experience in State management of culture, and the organization of cultural exchange programmes.

During the talks on tourism, Minister Juan Carlos García Granda called for Vietnamese investment into specific projects and programmes to develop accommodation facilities and tourism products and services, stressing that Cuba hopes Vietnam will become one of important source markets of tourism of Cuba.

The minister invited the Vietnamese minister to attend the International Tourism Fair which Cuba will host in May in the framework of the year Cuba chairs the G77 group.

Minister Hung proposed that the Cuban side send the list of its 106 tourism projects calling for investment to the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism so that the ministry can provide information to Vietnamese firms.

He said the upcoming visit to Vietnam by Minister Juan Carlos García Granda will be an opportunity for the two sides to hold a tourism forum and an investment promotion conference, during which firms and partners of both sides can reach and sign specific cooperation deals.

Trade, investment

NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue (4th, R) and other delegates at the forum. Photo: Quoihoi.vn

Also on April 21, NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue and Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz attended a Vietnam-Cuba business forum in Havana as part of the former's ongoing official visit to the Latin American country, Nhan dan (People) newspaper said.

Addressing the event, Cuban Vice President of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment of Cuba Ricardo Cabrisas called for businesses of both sides to continue to seek new partnership opportunities and measures to realise their targets.

He held that amid the complicated world economic situation, the two sides should find out new methods and solutions to create firm connections in production and cooperation in key areas, thus making the bilateral economic and trade relations match the traditional historical relationship, solidarity and friendship between the two countries.

Vietnamese Minister of Construction Nguyen Thanh Nghi said cooperation in trade and investment has played an important role in promoting the comprehensive partnership between the two countries.

Nghi noted that Vietnam is currently the second biggest Asian trade partner of Cuba, with two-way trade reaching about $250-350 million each year in the 2015-2020 period.

Vietnam's major exports to Cuba include rice, electric appliances, electronics, garments, footwear, cosmetics, construction materials, industrial materials, household appliances, and stationery.

Vietnam mainly imports medicines, vaccines and medical bio-products from Cuba, he said. He emphasised that the Vietnam-Cuba Trade Agreement, which took effect in April 2020, has created an important legal foundation for businesses of both sides to make full use of preferential tariffs to raise two-way trade to $500 million per annum in the next five years.

In terms of investment, Vietnam is currently the biggest Asian investor in Cuba with five projects which partly meet the commodity demands of the Cuban market, create jobs for local labourers, and contribute to promoting the local production industry's sustainable growth and become self-reliant in all circumstances.

At the event, NA Chairman Hue, the Cuban PM and participants witnessed the signing and exchange of cooperation agreements between businesses of the two countries in the areas of electricity, oil and gas, construction materials and aviation./.

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