Vietnam's extraordinary history of resistance and victories is at the foundation of our exemplary ties
- Written by Shorthand Versions - Presidency of the Republic
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Speech delivered by Miguel Mario Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and President of the Republic, on the occasion of the 65th Anniversary of bilateral relations between Cuba and Vietnam, at the Ho Guom Theater, Hanoi, Vietnam, on September 1, 2025, "Year 67 of the Revolution".
Dear comrade Luong Cuong, President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam; Dear leaders of the Vietnamese Communist Party, State, Government and institutions;
Dear and admired former leaders of the Vietnamese Party, Government and State who contributed so much, from their former positions, to the relations between Cuba and Vietnam, of which today we celebrate the 65th anniversary; Friends of solidarity; Vietnamese sisters and brothers; Members of the Cuban delegation; Comrades:
It is an honor and an extraordinary privilege to celebrate in Vietnamese lands 65 years of bilateral relations, at the same time that we attend the joyful days of admirable patriotism and national pride for the 80th Anniversary of the Proclamation of Vietnam's Independence.
The August Revolution was an epic of worldwide resonance that shook the foundations of colonialism in Asia and gave birth to the first democratic and popular state in Southeast Asia, under the guidance of the Communist Party of Indochina, today the Communist Party of Vietnam, and with the sure leadership of an outstanding revolutionary for all times, loved and admired by Cubans: the venerable President Ho Chi Minh.
In 1889 the National Hero of Cuba, José Martí, in a visionary story: A walk through the land of the Annamites, said of the sons of this noble people that they had suffered and fought to be free, free in their land, free in thought, and as much as the bravest, they fought and would fight again. Subsequent history and up to the present day has not tired of confirming those words of the most universal of Cubans, with heroic feats of worldwide resonance such as the Battle of Dien Bien Phu, the victory against Yankee imperialism and the reunification of the country, which made possible its definitive independence.
That extraordinary history of resistance and victories, which has earned Vietnam the respect and admiration of the world, is at the very foundation of our exemplary ties, with the unconditional support of the Cuban Revolution to the brave Annamites from the very beginning.
We are deeply honored to be the first Latin American country to establish diplomatic relations with Vietnam, on December 2, 1960, the first in the world to found a Committee of Solidarity with South Vietnam and the first to open its classrooms to Vietnamese youth in 1961.
Such an exceptional relationship has been forged between Vietnam and Cuba that it has stood the test of time and has become an obligatory reference of friendship and cooperation, particularly in times of enormous challenges for peace.
That peculiar nexus transcends formalisms and protocols, because it is born and affirmed in very deep traditions and identities, forged in the days when the Cuban Committee permanently denounced the crimes of imperialism in Vietnam. And that brotherhood became more endearing when the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution assured a huge crowd of Cubans that for Vietnam we were ready to give even our own blood.
Today we can ratify that those sentiments are still valid and that for Vietnam today we are also willing to give even our own blood (Applause).
That closeness, that moral identification of which President Ho Chi Minh spoke, was strengthened by Fidel's presence in the liberated territories of the South in 1973. There, very close to active combat zones, the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution, surrounded by young combatants, waved the flag of the National Liberation Front as proof of his absolute confidence in victory and ratification that we Cubans were willing to meet the same fate. The image of that act is the most beautiful symbol of the deep friendship we celebrate today.
Shoulder to shoulder, as happened in Hai Phong in the eventful days of the bombings in the north or when clearing the legendary Ho Chi Minh trail, the Vietnamese brothers accompanied us later in our most difficult moments: during the hard years of the Special Period, in the days of the COVID-19 pandemic, after the passage of natural disasters through the island, and always, in a special way, with their valuable and sustained contribution to Cuba's food security.
This very brief account of emblematic events in these 65 years will suffice to summarize the exemplary nature of these relations between two so-called Third World nations, whose peoples share ideals of independence, sovereignty and development with social justice.
Today our ties are consolidated in all areas: partisan, parliamentary, defense and security, judicial, workers' organizations, women's, communist youth and solidarity.
The political dialogue at the highest level is systematic and is distinguished by honesty, frankness, mutual trust, broad coincidences in approaches to the international agenda and the permanent willingness to exchange experiences on the processes of Renewal in Vietnam and the updating of the Economic and Social Model in Cuba.
In the political sphere, the historic visit to Cuba in September 2024 by the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Comrade To Lam, a decisive event for bilateral relations that ratified the intimate nature of the ties between both peoples, parties and governments and outlined new economic and cooperation projects in strategic sectors for Cuba, with a new focus on sustainability and shared benefits, stands out in the political sphere.
The unbreakable ties between the two communist parties continue to be strengthened as a pillar of bilateral cooperation.
Among other recent events, the visit to Cuba of comrade Nguyen Xuan Thang, member of the Political Bureau, chairman of the Central Theoretical Council and director of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, on the occasion of the VI Inter-Party Theoretical Seminar held in Havana, as a systematic space for the exchange of experiences on the construction of socialism in both nations, stands out.
The historic cooperation in the fields of defense and security is another expression of the mutual trust that distinguishes bilateral relations. Among its most recent milestones are the presence in Vietnam of Comrade Army Corps General Alvaro Lopez Miera, Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces, to participate in the commemorations for the 80th Anniversary of the Vietnam People's Army, and the recent visit to our country of Vice Minister and Chief of Staff of the Vietnam People's Army, Comrade Nguyen Tan Cuong, last June.
We also accompanied the heroic Vietnamese people in their commemorations for the 80th anniversary of Public Security, last August 19, when General of the Army Corps Luis Alberto Alvarez Casas, Minister of the Interior of Cuba, was in Hanoi.
We also share with Vietnam a tradition of cooperation in the parliamentary field on the legislative exercise and the functioning of our respective national assemblies, valuable references to continue improving the institutionality of the people's power and the socialist rule of law in our countries.
The consolidation of the important institutional mechanisms established, such as the inter-chancellery political consultations and the Intergovernmental Commission for Economic and Scientific-Technical Collaboration, which recently met in Hanoi, have allowed us to outline more precisely the next steps in the bilateral agenda to strengthen multifaceted cooperation in the agri-food, health, education, science and technology, associations and media, construction, biopharmaceutical and biotechnology, energy and banking sectors, among others.
Vietnam is consolidating its position as Cuba's first investment partner in the Asian region, with projects linked to agri-food production, basic goods, biotechnology and renewable energy. Cuba ratifies its willingness to provide an increasingly attractive environment for Vietnamese entrepreneurs, based on the facilities and incentives approved by the Cuban Government.
We highly value Vietnam's unwavering support in our struggle against the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed and intensified by the United States, and the unjust and unacceptable inclusion of our country in the list of State sponsors of terrorism. We are especially grateful for the statement of Secretary General To Lam at the High-Level Segment of the United Nations General Assembly in September 2024.
In the same spirit of that Vietnamese proverb that states that "drinking water reminds us of the source", we reiterate our gratitude to sister Vietnam for its invaluable support to our country's food security.
The special sensitivity we have found in the Vietnamese Party and Government in creating trade facilities to guarantee rice supplies to the Cuban people, in the midst of the complex situation we are facing, confirms the strength and depth of our friendship.
That generous gesture extends to the Vietnamese people, who many times over the years have moved us with their actions of solidarity towards Cuba. More recently, and in the context of this anniversary, we were shaken by an unprecedented popular fundraising campaign, which far exceeded the estimates of the organizers of the Vietnamese Red Cross, by raising more than 14 million dollars in just 30 hours, while a single family delivered 6 tons of rice to our Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City.
I borrow, on this occasion, the words of Comrade Do Van Chien, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of Vietnam and Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, referring to the impressive result of the campaign: "Brotherly affection has overcome all geographical distances and economic conditions to become an enduring spiritual value".
On the occasion of the 65th anniversary of the establishment of relations between our nations, our peoples, we can once again affirm:
Long live the unbreakable friendship between Cuba and Vietnam! (Exclamations of: "Long live!").
And as always: Cuba and Vietnam united will win!
Thank you very much (Applause). (Source : Granma)
