Hanoi (VNA) – The Vietnam-CubaInter-Governmental Committee convened its 35th meeting in Hanoi onOctober 2, under the chair of Vietnamese Minister of Construction Pham Hong Haand Cuban Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment Rodrigo Malmierca Díaz.

During the two-day meeting, the committeeis expected to review the implementation of the 34th meeting’sminutes and put forward specific measures to increase the efficiency of thecommittee’s operations and the two countries’ cooperation in the time ahead.

In opening the meeting, Minister Ha, who isalso co-Chair of the Vietnam-Cuba Inter-Governmental Committee, said thebilateral relations are currently at the best development period and have beenexpanded in all fields, from politics, diplomacy to economy, science andtechnology.

Cooperative projects on rice, corn, soybeanand coffee plantation and aquatic farming in Cuba have produced positiveresults, thus helping the country increase production yield and ensure foodsecurity.

The two countries are negotiating and planto conclude negotiations on a new trade agreement in the fourth quarter of 2017in order to bring two-way trade to 500 million USD in the next five years.

Many Vietnamese firms, including Viglacera,Hanel, Tin Thanh and Thai Binh, have worked closely with Cuban partners to getlicences for their investment in Cuba in construction materials, consumergoods, hotel, and renewable energy.

Regarding cooperative measures in the timeahead, Minister Ha stressed the need to give priority to the signing of the newtrade agreement, the fifth phase of the rice development project (2017-2020) tobe implemented in 2018, and the implementation of the coffee developmentproject.

He also urged the two sides to reachagreement on specific contents for cooperation in tourism, health care,production of vaccines and medicine, science and technology, telecoms, andcultural exchange.

At the meeting, both sides pledged tocreate favourable conditions to speed up the implementation of investmentprojects, and discuss cooperation possibilities in potential aspects such astourism and medical tourism.

Cuban Minister of Foreign Trade andInvestment Rodrigo Malmierca Díaz emphasised important achievements in tradeties between the two countries.

Last year, Vietnam was the second largesttrade partner of Cuba in the Asia-Pacific region, and tenth in terms of thetotal trade turnover of Cuba with other countries.

Two-way trade posted a year-on-year rise of4.7 percent in the first eight months of this year, with rice remaining themost important commodity.

Notably, Cuba’s pharmaceutical andbiotechnological products are now available in Vietnam. However, the quantityhas yet to meet potential, he said.

Therefore, he said he hopes Cuba willcontinue intensifying cooperation with Vietnam in pharmaceuticals andhealth.-VNA