Vietnam, Cuba seek to expand trade link

Cuba and Vietnam held a business forum in Havana on Wednesday aimed at expanding economic and trade collaboration between the two nations.

Vietnamese Economy and Planning Minister Nguyen Chi Dung led a delegation to attend the forum, accompanied by entrepreneurs from the sectors of tourism, transportation, industry, logistics services, telecommunications and trade, among others.

At the forum, Nguyen praised Cuba's new foreign investment law as it favors the settlement of Vietnamese entrepreneurs in the Caribbean island.

While acknowledging that bilateral relations are still very limited, Nguyen said that this entrepreneurial forum would help boost Vietnamese investment and bilateral trade, and that Hanoi encourages its nationals to enter the Cuban market.

Cuban Foreign Trade and Investment Minister Rodrigo Malmierca expressed his hope that the two countries would expand their cooperation.

He said the relations between Hanoi and Havana are "special and strategic", adding that important negotiations were under the way for Vietnam to help develop the Cuban industrial and renewable energy sectors.

On Thursday, the Vietnamese delegation is scheduled to visit the Special Development Zone at the port of Mariel, 50 km west of Havana, which is considered to be a focal point for investment and exports to Cuba and the future main gate of exports and imports.

Hanoi and Havana have maintained diplomatic relations since 1960 and Vietnam is Cuba's second largest trading partner in Asia, after China.

Source : XINHUA