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Cuban Ambassador to Vietnam Orlando Nicolas Hernandez Guillen (Photo: VNA)

Vietnamese top leader’s Cuba visit of historical significance: Cuban Ambassador

The upcoming visit to Cuba by the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and State President To Lam, a great friend of the Cuban people, Party, and Government, is important and of great significance, stated Cuban Ambassador to Vietnam Orlando Nicolas Hernandez Guillen.

The visit is very special, as it will be the first by a top leader of the Party and State of Vietnam to Cuba, the diplomat told Vietnam News Agency on the threshold of the visit.

He said that during the visit, the two sides are expected to reach important agreements in the Party aspect, contributing to promoting the relations between the two Parties.

The Cuban diplomat held that delegation exchanges and meetings through the Party, parliament, and Government channels will have a positive impact on the relationship between the two countries as well as important cooperation areas.

On the threshold of the visit, an inter-parliamentary meeting between the two sides with the participation of a Vice Chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam and the President of the National Assembly of People's Power of Cuba and leaders of NA committees on economy, politics, and society of the two sides. The outcomes of the meeting are expected to make direct contributions to the top Vietnamese leader’s visit, said the Cuban diplomat.

Noting that Lam's entourage will include officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam, he held that important agreements will be reached in the field.

Alongside, the two sides are hoping to further strengthen cooperation in various fields such as economy, trade, locality-to-locality collaboration, external relations and diplomacy.

The diplomat said that the visit will mark a historically significant moment. Cuba was the first country in the western hemisphere with which Vietnam established relations. Throughout the ups and downs in history, Vietnam and Cuba have stood by each other's side and supported each other through difficult and complex moments, and fought common enemies. This is evidence of the special brotherhood between the two nations through the past 65 years.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the two sides promoted their mutual support by providing each other with supplies, medicine and vaccines, cited VNA.

For many years, Vietnam has been an important partner in Cuba's economic opening policy. Vietnam has been the biggest investor and second largest trade partner of Cuba in Asia, said the ambassador, expressing his hope that new investment cooperation deals will be reached in the future.

Meanwhile, Vietnam is the only country outside the Latin American region that Cuba has signed an agreement on trade preferences, promoting the presence of Vietnamese products in the Cuban market, and facilitating the sale of Cuban medical products as well as other traditional ones such as rum and cigarettes in the Vietnamese market.

The two sides have signed a medium-term bilateral economic economic agenda, while launching the intergovernmental committee mechanism, and increasing exchanges in political and legal fields.

The strengthening of relations between the two parliaments, the two Ministries of Justice, and the two Supreme Courts has created favorable conditions for the two sides to exchange experience in areas that play the key role in bilateral ties.

Regarding the political relations between the two Parties, Ambassador Hernandez Guillen said that the two sides have organized theory conferences to increase experience exchange on Party building. Vietnam and Cuba share many similarities, he said, explaining that the two countries are on the same development path under the leadership of the Communist Parties and face many challenges, both internal and external.

Bilateral cooperation in culture has also been promoted, he noted, revealing that one of the first activities to mark the 65th anniversary of the Vietnam-Cuba diplomatic relations will be an art programme performed by the Cuban National Ballet.

The Cuban side plans to bolster exchange with Vietnam at all levels from schools, organizations, women’s unions, to fronts, with an aim to diversify activities to celebrate this special occasion, the diplomat added.

He affirmed that all the agreements reached by the two sides across all fields aim to strengthen bilateral ties and learn from each other’s experience.

Amid the current complicated world situation with threats from all aspects, Cuba and Vietnam have shared common viewpoints on the world's most pressing issues, the ambassador stated, emphasizing that this visit will show the world that the two countries always support each other to face today's increasingly complex international challenges.

Vietnam remains bright spot in foreign investment attraction in ASEAN

Skilled workforce, a growing digital economy, competitive wages, and a sizable regional market were among ASEAN’s top attractions to foreign investors, with Vietnam’s economic resilience being ranked foremost in attracting international firms, according to details given by HSBC experts.

In fact, Chinese manufacturers are themselves expanding their presence into Southeast Asia. A third of the region’s manufacturing FDI last year came from China, which was more than three times the amount from the United States, the Republic of Korea (RoK), or Japan, according to fDi Markets.

In Vietnam alone, leading Chinese manufacturing firms have ramped up their investments in 2023, with almost 20% of newly registered FDI from the Asian powerhouse, according to VOV.

Photo: VOV

Japan and the Republic of Korea are both traditionally major investors in the Vietnamese market, but China has been expanding its FDI footprint quickly in the country. Indeed, the northern neighbor accounted for almost half of Vietnam’s new FDI inflows in 2023.

Furthermore, HSBC experts recorded an 80% increase in terms of the number of Chinese corporations entering new Southeast Asian markets in 2023 compared to 2022. Among Chinese clients, there is also a strong interest in expanding into Singapore, followed by Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

For the Vietnamese side, the northern neighbor is already one of its main trading partners, with bilateral trade exceeding US$4106 billion, driven by electronics, textiles, and machinery. Within 10 years since 2014, the trade relationship between both sides has risen to be one of top 20 corridors globally. Regional agreements like the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) mean that joint economic ties will likely continue to strengthen, with a growing emphasis placed on the digital economy.

According to the e-Conomy SEA 2023 report, Vietnam was the fastest-growing digital economy in ASEAN after recording impressive growth of 20%. Measured by gross merchandise value, the country has the potential to become the second-largest digital market in the region by 2030, just after Indonesia.

Ample room remains for Vietnam - Hong Kong (China) relations

The relations between Vietnam and Hong Kong (China) have great potential for growth, bringing major economic and cultural benefits to both sides, Vietnamese Consul General in Hong Kong and Macau Le Duc Hanh said at an event celebrating the 79th anniversary of Vietnam's National Day held in Hong Kong on September 19.

Hanh said that Vietnam and Hong Kong have a long-lasting connection, as well as cultural and geographical similarities.

During Vietnam’s Doi Moi (Reform) process, Hong Kong has played an important role in its economic development.

Notably, during the visit to Vietnam by Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region John Lee Ka-chiu in late July, the two sides signed more than 30 cooperation agreements in many fields, marking a new chapter in their relationship.

The working trip to Hong Kong by Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh to attend the 9th Belt and Road Summit from September 10-11 also brought fresh momentum to the bilateral cooperation, VNA reported.

Vietnamese Consul General in Hong Kong and Macau Le Duc Hanh at the event. (Photo: VNA)

Hong Kong serves as a gateway for Vietnamese goods to enter the Chinese market in particular and the global trade network in general, as well as for businesses from Hong Kong and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area to come and invest in Vietnam, Hanh said.

She added that Vietnam and Hong Kong should explore new cooperation areas that match their development goals, such as financial and legal services, science and technology, innovation, aviation and human resource development.

Meanwhile, Secretary for Justice of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Paul Lam emphasized that Vietnam and Hong Kong have long been trusted partners.

In 2023, the bilateral trade reached 31.3 billion USD. Vietnam was Hong Kong’s second largest trading partner in the ASEAN, after Singapore, and the 7th largest globally.

Vietnam was the 8th largest export market to Hong Kong with a turnover of 17.1 billion USD, and the 5th largest importer from Hong Kong with a value of 14.2 billion USD.

Lam said that Hong Kong serves as a bridge between China and other countries thanks to its unique advantages, particularly its high-quality international legal services.

He held that legal service is an area of cooperation with great potential between Vietnam and Hong Kong.

Northern region to welcome first cold spell

The first cold spell of the autumn-winter season is forecast to hit the country's northern provinces from September 23, with the coming days bringing with it spells of rain coupled with lowering temperatures.

According to the National Center for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting, the cold spell is predicted to bring showers to northern provinces on the evening of September 21.

The center also warned of a possible whirlwind and hail storms occurring in some areas. The temperature will drop to between five and six degrees Celsius, with the night of September 22 seeing c6old temperatures, cited VOV.

Photo: VOV

In Hanoi, the highest temperature is expected to be 24 degrees Celsius from the morning of September 23. The first cold spell of the autumn-winter season will last through to September 30.

Nine-day Lunar New Year break approved for 2025

The Ministry of Home Affairs has agreed to a proposal from the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs, granting a 9-day break for the 2025 Lunar New Year, from January 25 to February 2.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has officially approved a 9-day break for the 2025 Lunar New Year (Tet) following a proposal from the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs. Public sector employees will be on holiday from January 25 to February 2, 2025, which corresponds to the 26th day of the last month of the Year of the Dragon through the 5th day of the Year of the Snake.

The Ministry's decision aligns with the traditional observance of Tet, allowing government officials, civil servants, and employees to take an extended holiday. The break is designed to offer ample time for family gatherings, travel, and celebrations, while minimizing the impact on public services, VNN reported.

Illustrative photo: Nguyen Hue

In addition to the Tet holiday, the Ministry of Home Affairs has also approved the following public holidays for 2025:

- National Day Holiday: A four-day break from August 30 to September 2, 2025.

- Victory Day and International Labor Day: A five-day break from April 30 to May 4, 2025.

The Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs will submit the finalized holiday schedule to the Prime Minister for approval. This schedule applies to government employees, civil servants, and workers, ensuring a consistent holiday framework across Vietnam.

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