Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz arrived in Vientiane to complete the second stage of a tour of Southeast Asian nations, which began last September 28 in Hanoi.
 
This is Marrero Cruz's first tour as head of government in this region, including Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, three countries with which Cuba shares close ties of brotherhood, based on unwavering mutual solidarity and broad coincidences on issues on the international agenda.
 
In the context of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez met last week with his Laotian counterpart, Saleumxay Kommasith, with whom he discussed the favorable moment in relations between the two countries.
 
The heads of diplomacy of Cuba and Laos also highlighted the historic ties of friendship, solidarity, and cooperation between their peoples, parties, and governments.
 
The Cuban Prime Minister arrived here from Ho Chi Minh City, where he concluded his three-day official and friendly visit to Vietnam.
 
In the southern metropolis, he was received by the member of the Political Bureau and secretary of the Communist Party Committee (PCV) in that city, Nguyen Van Nen, to whom he expressed his impression after visiting the Cu Chi tunnels and his admiration for the heroic history of the Indochinese nation.
 
Marrero Cruz commented on the results of the official talks with his counterpart Phan Minh Chinh, in which they agreed to further promote bilateral cooperation, especially the promotion of Vietnamese investments in Cuba and support in the production of rice, coffee, corn, aquaculture, and renewable energy.
 
On the other hand, and according to the VNA news agency, he reaffirmed Cuba's willingness to intensify the potential for cooperation with Ho Chi Minh City in sectors such as high technology and pharmaceutical chemistry; and to continue consolidating ties for the benefit of both countries.
 
Meanwhile, Van Nen expressed his gratitude to the Communist Party, the Government, and the people of Cuba for the timely support provided to the metropolis in preventing and controlling the Covid-19 pandemic.
 
He also expressed his certainty that with the joint efforts and determination of both sides, and based on the existing good relations, Ho Chi Minh City will have many opportunities to strengthen cooperation with the island.
 
During his brief stay in Ho Chi Minh City, Marrero Cruz visited the Cu Chi Tunnels historical relics area and the Saigon High Technology Park (SHTP), a 913-hectare site founded in 2022 and which has so far attracted more than 12 billion dollars in domestic and foreign investments.