Vietnamese Party leader Nguyen Phu Trong holds talks with Cuban leader Raul Castro Ruz

The Party chief’s visits established new frameworks and orientations for bilateral ties reflecting Vietnam’s consistent policy and determination to heighten its foreign relationships.

Comprehensive, strategic, practical outcomes

During the visits, Mr. Trong met with many French and Cuban leaders as well as local Vietnamese community, young people, and businesses. Hoang Binh Quan is Head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for External Affairs: “France has high respect for the Party leader’s visit. They see Vietnam’s potential and the benefits of improving ties. The Party leader held talks with French leaders and identified strategic visions, major orientations, and specific measures to boost bilateral ties. In Cuba, high-ranking leaders welcome, held talks with and bid farewell to the Party leader. Cuban leader Castro Raul was on the same plane with Mr. Trong that landed in Santiago de Cuba. This is unprecedented.”

Vietnam signed 43 cooperative agreements with France and Cuba. The deals between Vietnam and France, worth more than 10 billion euros, focus on aviation, IT, energy and infrastructure. Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh said: “France will become a major partner of Vietnam in the near future with increased investment flow. We have fine-tuned cooperative mechanisms and frameworks, and signed several agreements worth billions of USD.”

The leaders of Vietnam and France showed a shared determination to finalize the Vietnam-Europe Free Trade Agreement this year to create momentum and new opportunities for bilateral economic and investment cooperation.

Mr. Trong’s visit to Cuba laid a firm foundation for expanding bilateral ties, especially economic cooperation. Minister Tran Tuan Anh says: “Vietnam and Cuba agreed to accelerate negotiations of a trade pact and sign it as soon as possible to increase bilateral trade, attract investment, boost production, and expand market penetration. Under the new agreement the two sides grant each other preferences based on their needs and 90% of tariffs will be reduced.”

The Vietnamese Party leader awarded the Gold Star Order, Vietnam’s highest distinction, to Cuban leader Raul Castro Ruz, announced Vietnam’s decision to clear Cuba’s debts and present Cuba with 5,000 tons of rice.

Common perception of a multi-polar world

During Mr. Trong’s visits, the leaders of Vietnam, France, and Cuba agreed to work closely to maintain peace and security amid rapid and complicated developments around the world. They agreed to promote a multi-polar world based on multilateralism, emphasized the UN’s role, and pledged to respect the independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, self-reliance and political syste,s of each other saying that international disputes must be settled by peaceful means and diplomatic measures  with respect for international law and the UN Charter.