New momentum, prospects to foster Vietnam - Cuba friendship
First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee and President of Cuba Miguel Díaz-Canel has described his official visit to Vietnam from August 31 to September 2 as a success, yielding effective outcomes across multiple areas ranging from ideology and politics to economic and trade cooperation.
Vietnamese Party General Secretary To Lam and First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee and President of Cuba Miguel Díaz-Canel at the welcome ceremony in Hanoi on September 1. (Photo: VNA)
Havana (VNA) – First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee and President of Cuba Miguel Díaz-Canel has described his official visit to Vietnam from August 31 to September 2 as a success, yielding effective outcomes across multiple areas ranging from ideology and politics to economic and trade cooperation.
According to the Cuban news agency Prensa Latina, Díaz-Canel emphasised the readiness, determination, and goodwill of the Party, State, and Government of Vietnam to cooperate with and support Cuba amidst the curent difficulties caused by the increasing economic, financial, and trade embargo imposed by the US.
The Cuban leader expressed his deep impression of the jubilant and proud atmosphere among the Vietnamese people during the celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution (August 19, 1945 – 2025) and National Day (September 2, 1945 – 2025). He also highlighted the warm affection towards the Cuban delegation at the places they visited and along the streets of Hanoi.
Looking ahead, Díaz-Canel noted that 2026 will mark two milestones in bilateral ties: the 60th anniversary of General Raul Castro’s first visit to Vietnam, during which he met with President Ho Chi Minh, and the 60th anniversary of the historic declaration by Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro that “For Vietnam, Cuba is willing to shed its own blood,”
ꦅ On bilateral economic cooperation, the Cuban leader underlined that the visit that took place less than a year after the state visit of Party General Secretary To Lam to Cuba produced specific results. According to him, shifts in business dynamics are creating new momentum to advance bilateral cooperation, particularly in food production, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, consumer goods, and renewable energy./.
Leaders of Vietnam and Cuba discussed many important and strategic issues to further deepen the special friendship between the two countries, affirming their high regard and priority for the traditional solidarity, special friendship, and comprehensive cooperation.
Addressing a recent business meeting held by the Ministry of Construction of Vietnam, the co-chair of the Vietnam-Cuba Intergovernmental Committee, PM Chinh, underlined the need to expand partnership between the two nations in strategic sectors such as agriculture, solar energy, and biopharmaceuticals.
Party General Secretary To Lam affirmed that the Cuban leader's visit will create an important milestone and a strong driving force to continue consolidating, expanding, elevating, and intensifying the traditional solidarity, special friendship, and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.
Senior defence officials of the Republic of Korea (RoK) and the Philippines discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in defence and weapon industry at their meeting in Seoul on September 15.
From September 16, residents and visitors can enjoy a safer, cleaner, and higher-quality travel option aboard the company’s signature cyan taxis, with special promotions available for new users.
The declaration, endorsed at the ASEAN Prosecutors/Attorneys General Meeting (APAGM) in Bali, commits regional prosecutors to closer coordination in addressing transnational offenses such as online gambling, scams, corruption, money laundering, and cross-border asset smuggling.
CAMEX features 17 themed pavilions, including 10 dedicated to ASEAN member states – Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam – as well as a regional pavilion from Guangxi, China. It also hosts a special World Halal Trade Centre and themed areas for other Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) members such as Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia and New Zealand.
The Indonesian government has confirmed that it will stop providing incentives for imported completely built-up (CBU) battery electric vehicles (BEVs) from 2026.
The ministry warned that the RSV can easily spread through mucus, saliva and toys around children. Currently, there is no specific treatment or RSV vaccine for children, so families were urged to take preventive measures.
Thailand has emerged as one of Southeast Asia’s fastest-growing markets for artificial intelligence (AI), with OpenAI reporting that weekly active users of ChatGPT in the country have quadrupled over the past year.
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul is driving forward the Land Bridge mega-project, valued at nearly 1 trillion THB (31.5 billion USD), to stimulate the economy and attract long-term investment.
A discussion on Vietnamese cuisine, culture and tourism was held in Tel Aviv on September 14, aiming to deepen the understanding of Vietnamese culture and promote people-to-people exchanges between Vietnam and Israel, especially as the two countries expand cooperation across multiple fields.
Confirmed initiatives include the revival of the popular "Half-Half" co-payment scheme. Other proposals under discussion - though not yet finalised - include the "We Travel Together" tourism stimulus programme, decentralisation efforts and disaster mitigation strategies.
Fidel’s words to the gathered soldiers: “For Vietnam, Cuba is willing to shed its own blood!” captured the very essence of the friendship forged between the two nations, a relationship nurtured through resilience, dignity, and internationalist spirit.
The satellite Nusantara 5 (N5), launched by Indonesia, is expected to strengthen connectivity in Indonesia's eastern region, supporting distance learning, digital health care, and providing access to information and entertainment for remote communities.
Indonesia’s Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) is preparing 17 locations to be designated as specific national strategic areas (KSNT) for blue carbon reserves.
The ASEAN task force is not identical to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) but is intended to serve as a platform for collective discussions and joint actions when ASEAN countries face shared threats.
The 19th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime (AMMTC) on September 11 agreed to present three ASEAN Leaders’ Declarations at the 47th ASEAN Summit in this October.
