On the morning of October 28, 2024, Mr. Nguyen Van Tung, Deputy Secretary of the Hai Phong Party Committee and Chairman of the Hai Phong People's Committee, welcomed a delegation from the Cuban Farmers' Association led by Mr. Félix Duarte Ortega, Member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba, Member of the State Council, National Assembly Representative, and President of the Cuban Farmers' Association. The visit was part of the delegation's trip to Hai Phong for diplomatic and cooperative purposes.
Also attending the meeting were other distinguished guests, including Mr. José Alberto González Sánchez, a Central Committee member of the Cuban Communist Party and President of the Paquito González Agricultural Cooperative in Ciego de Ávila, as well as Mr. Phan Như Nguyện, an alternate Central Committee member and Vice President of the Vietnam Farmers’ Association, among other relevant leaders from local departments and sectors.
In his welcoming remarks, Mr. Nguyen Van Tung emphasized the deep and enduring Vietnam-Cuba relationship, highlighting the historical solidarity and special friendship that both countries continue to cherish and develop. He expressed Hai Phong’s readiness to provide support and assistance to Cuban regions in times of need, recalling Cuba’s invaluable solidarity with Vietnam in the past.
Mr.Tung shared Vietnam's agricultural successes, noting that through the implementation of product-based farming contracts, Vietnam was able to transition from a rice-importing country to one of the world's leading rice exporters. He offered Hai Phong’s support to Cuban regions, including the provision of human resources, materials, equipment, and seeds to assist in agricultural development, particularly in rice production. He also proposed that Cuba focus on sharing technological advancements in fields such as biotechnology and pharmaceuticals. Furthermore, he emphasized the importance of fostering connections between Hai Phong and Cuban regions and businesses in sectors such as healthcare, education, tourism, agriculture, and trade, as well as facilitating investment and export-import activities.
In response, Mr. Félix Duarte Ortega expressed his deep gratitude for the warm and sincere welcome extended by the city leadership. He appreciated the support, both material and spiritual, that Vietnam, particularly Hai Phong, has provided to Cuba over the years. Mr. Ortega expressed confidence that this visit would strengthen the ties of cooperation and friendship between the two countries, especially between the Farmers’ Associations of Cuba and Vietnam, and promote agricultural development, particularly in rice production.
At the end of the meeting, the city’s leadership and the Cuban delegation exchanged symbolic gifts, reinforcing their commitment to furthering the cooperation and friendship between Vietnam and Cuba.