From December 1 to 3, Deputy Minister Phan Thi Thang joined the working delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung on an official visit to Cuba to mark the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Cuba.

During the visit, the Deputy Minister accompanied the Deputy PM in a series of activities, including the commemoration of the 65th anniversary of Vietnam - Cuba diplomatic relations (December 2, 1960 - 2025) hosted by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba. The event saw the attendance of Cuba’s senior leaders, such as First Secretary and President Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez and President of the National Assembly Esteban Lazo Hernandez.

The Deputy PM also held talks with President Diaz-Canel; met with Deputy PM and Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment Oscar Perez-Oliva Fraga; offered flowers at the statue of President Ho Chi Minh and at the monument of national hero Jose Marti; visited the Mariel Special Development Zone; worked with Vietnamese enterprises operating there; witnessed the handover of the second tranche of contributions under the “65 Years of Vietnam - Cuba Solidarity” programme; and attended the groundbreaking ceremony for a grant-funded solar power plant supporting the Cuban people.

Notably, on the sidelines of the visit, the MoIT delegation led by Deputy Minister Thang successfully convened the first meeting of the Joint Committee on the implementation of the Vietnam - Cuba Trade Agreement. The minutes were exchanged by Deputy Minister Thang and Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment Deborah Rivas Saavedra, under the witness of Deputy PM Ho Quoc Dung and Cuban Deputy PM Oscar Perez-Oliva Fraga, marking a significant step forward in the effective execution of the Agreement.

The visit took place as Cuba is facing various difficulties and challenges. It reaffirmed the long-standing and special traditional friendship between the two nations, while demonstrating the determination to advance the commitments reached during the visit to Cuba by Party General Secretary To Lam in September 2024, contributing to elevating economic, trade and investment cooperation to be commensurate with the close political and diplomatic ties.