Addressing the opening ceremony, VCCIVice President Doan Duy Khuong hailed the 55 years of cooperative tiesbetween Vietnam and Cuba as a faithful partnership.
The twoGovernments have fostered comprehensive relations, especially ineconomic development, construction, transport, biotechnology,agriculture and education, he said.
The two nations have anumber of long-standing economic-trade agreements, such as the agreementon trade exchanges and other economic cooperation in 1996; theagreement on investment encouragement and protection in 1995; and theagreement on tourism cooperation in 1999, Khuong added.
Meanwhile, President of the Cuba Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI)Hernandez Guillen said the recent normalisation of bilateralrelations between Cuba and the US presents huge opportunities for Cubanbusinesses.
He also highlighted opportunities for Vietnameseinvestors in tourism, agriculture, telecommunication, footwear andgarment-textiles, some of the major sectors in both nations.
Cuba also boasts cooperation potentials in pharmaceuticals, education and healthcare with Vietnam, he added.
Additionally, the establishment of the Mariel Special DevelopmentZone (ZEDM) is expected to facilitate Vietnamese investment in theCaribbean and offer a gate to the US and other Latin American countries.
In 2014, trade between Vietnam and Cuba reached207.5 million USD, a 45 percent increase from the previous year.Vietnamese exports to Cuba hit 206 million USD, with the majority infood, cereal, confectionary and garment-textiles.
According to the Ministry of Planning and Investment, Cuba has oneinvestment project in Vietnam with registered capital of 6.6 millionUSD. Vietnam has two projects in Cuba in oil and gas exploration.-VNA