NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue (R) receives Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz on September 29, 2022. (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – The upcoming official visit to Cubaby Vietnamese National Assembly (NA) Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue will contribute to creatingopportunities for the two countries to learn from the experience of each other invarious fields, promote exchange between their legislative bodies, and reachagreements related to political, diplomatic and economic ties, a Cuban experthas said.

✤ In an interviewgranted to the Vietnam News Agency, Dr. RuvisleiGonzález Saez, Vice President of the Cuba-Vietnam Friendship Association, affirmed that the visit will go beyond traditionalprotocol and receive attention from high-ranking leaders in the Caribbean nation.

ForCuba, welcoming a high-level leader from Vietnam in Havana is not only apolitical-diplomatic protocol but also a reunion between brothers, said the expertsaid who is also Director of the Sectorial Program of the International Relations in Cuba.

NA Chairman Hue’s visit is the fourth to Cuba by a Vietnamese top legislatorin the 21st century.

𝐆 The official emphasised that the relationship between Cuba and Vietnam has greatsignificance not only in terms of international relations but also for the national construction and defence in the respectivenations.

Close and regular dialogues between the two parties and governmentshave created conditions for the two sides to strengthen mutual trust and understandingand share their experience in addressing challenges in the context of complicated development of the world and regional situation, he said.

Themutual trust between Cuba and Vietnam, nurtured by Cuban revolutionaryleader Fidel Castro and President Ho Chi Minh, has enabled the two countries tomaintain a common stance at bilateral and multilateral forums, and support eachother during the most difficult times.

According to the expert, although political anddiplomatic relations between Cuba and Vietnam have always been at the highestlevel, there still remains a big room for the two sides to further expand cooperationwith new mechanisms, especially economic, trade, and investment connections.

With its increasing presence in the Latin American and Caribbean regions,Vietnam needs to have more knowledge about the regions to promote economicinterests. Meanwhile, Cuba can serve as a bridge to help Vietnam throughdiverse economic agreements within the framework of the Latin AmericanIntegration Association (ALADI) or the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), he said.

Vietnam can be also a bridge for Cuba to connect with the Association ofSoutheast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Thanks to Vietnam's role as  the ASEAN Chair in2020 and the support of many other countries, Cuba became a member of the Treaty of Amity andCooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) in 2020, he went on.

Furthermore, Cuba and Vietnam can also step up cooperation in specific fields such as health care, biotechnology, environmental protection, tourism,customs services, public administration, socio-culture, and legal and academicissues; and enhance twinning relationship between localities, González Saez said, adding that Cuba can learn from Vietnam's experience in developinga socialist-oriented market economy. 

▨ Regarding bilateral cooperation during the COVID-19 pandemic, he mentioned thegreat potential for the two sides to boost cooperation in biotechnology, aswell as in research on prevention and treatment protocols, saying thatCuba has successfully controlled the pandemic and is willing to share its experience with Vietnam./.