Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh hosted a reception in Hanoi on December 1 for President of Cuba’s Prensa Latina news agency Jorge Legañoa Alonso, who is in Vietnam on the occasion of the 65th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties.

PM Chinh conveyed his greetings to First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee and President of Cuba Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, Cuban PM Manuel Marrero Cruz, President of the National Assembly of People’s Power Lazo Hernández, and other Cuban leaders.

PM Pham Minh Chinh (R) and President of Cuba’s Prensa Latina news agency Jorge Legañoa Alonso. (Photo: VNA)

Affirming that Vietnam will never forget Cuba’s support during its past struggle for national independence and the subsequent process of national construction and defence, he stressed that the special relationship between Vietnam and Cuba, laid by Cuban national hero José Martí, President Ho Chi Minh and Cuban leader Fidel Castro, has been growing over the past 65 years. The bilateral ties, he noted, have expanded across all levels, channels and areas with three key pillars: political-diplomatic relations as the foundation, economic-trade-investment ties as the driving force, and people-to-people exchanges as the glue.

Both sides have maintained regular high-level visits and contacts, most recently the 2024 state visit to Cuba by Party General Secretary To Lam and the official visit to Vietnam in September 2025 by Díaz-Canel.

According to him, Vietnam is now Cuba’s second largest trade partner and biggest investor from the Asia-Pacific. Projects in food security, rice, corn and aquaculture have eased difficulties for the Cuban people. Most recently, the Vietnamese people donated more than 650 billion VND (25 million USD) to Cuba under the “65 years of Vietnam–Cuba solidarity” campaign, ten times the original target, while Cuba supplied vaccines to Vietnam during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cooperation between the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) and Prensa Latina has been close and effective, with the Cuban agency training generations of Vietnamese journalists and editors, dispatching experts to Hanoi, and promoting bilateral friendship. VNA, in turn, has provided equipment and facilitated Prensa Latina correspondents in Vietnam.

Vietnam always stands alongside Cuba, stays ready to share development experience and assists in food security, energy and telecommunications, he said.

He urged VNA and Prensa Latina to increase cooperation, maintain effective joint activities and explore new methods of collaboration, including professional training, technology and media infrastructure development aligned with modern trends.

The PM stressed the need for both agencies to offer accurate, official and timely information to domestic and international media; actively spread the loyal, pure and unique Vietnam–Cuba friendship; coordinate to protect the ideological foundation and work on key information fronts; detect and counter false or harmful information that could affect ties.

Affirming the Government’s support for VNA’s cooperation plans with Prensa Latina, he expressed confidence that generations of journalists from both agencies would continue with effective activities, contributing to the traditional Vietnam–Cuba friendship and solidarity.

Legañoa Alonso voiced pride in the long-standing friendship between the two countries and their national news agencies. He affirmed Prensa Latina’s commitment to working closely with VNA to better tap collaboration areas outlined by the host.

Earlier the same morning, VNA General Director Vu Viet Trang held talks with Legañoa Alonso at the VNA headquarters in Hanoi.

At the talks between VNA General Director Vu Viet Trang and President of Cuba’s Prensa Latina news agency Jorge Legañoa Alonso. (Photo: VNA)