President witnesses signing ceremony of many cooperation programs during visit to Cuba
On the occasion of his official visit to Cuba, on the morning of September 20, local time, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc visited Cuba's Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology.
This is Cuba's leading pharmaceutical research center, successfully researching and producing many types of vaccines and cancer treatment drugs, including the successful production of the Abdala vaccine.
At the center, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc witnessed the signing of many cooperation documents between the two Ministries of Health and businesses of the two countries on purchasing 5 million doses of Abdala vaccine as well as transferring technology to produce Covid-19 vaccine to Vietnam.
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Reporting to President Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the Center, the Center's leaders said that the Center was established 30 years ago, inaugurated by President Fidel Castro, demonstrating the strategic vision of Comrade Fidel, gathering many Cuban scientists. The Center manages 21 enterprises, focusing on the field of science and technology, including 20,000 employees, 246 PhDs, 1,219 Masters. The Center's model is to research, produce, and do business, and has cooperative relations with many countries around the world.
The Center's outstanding products include many pharmaceuticals such as vaccines, cancer treatment drugs, diagnostic technologies, including lung cancer treatment drugs, anti-amputation drugs, skin cancer treatment drugs, etc. Since 2000, thanks to the Center's products, no Cuban children have hepatitis B and the vaccine has been shared with Vietnam. The Center also cooperates with many Vietnamese partners to produce and distribute many types of products.
Regarding pharmaceutical products to prevent and fight Covid-19, in a short time, the Center has successfully researched 27 drugs and vaccines, including 5 types of Covid-19 vaccines, and Abdala is the vaccine that brings the highest efficiency when injected into Cuban people, with very high protection efficiency.
The Center's leaders expressed their joy that during the President's visit to Cuba this time, many Vietnamese partners wanted to cooperate with the Center in both distribution and technology transfer for the production of pharmaceuticals and vaccines, including the Abdala vaccine.
Speaking at the Center, Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan said: We are pleased to announce that this morning we and Cuba's CIGB have signed a contract to supply 5 million doses of Abdala vaccine to Vietnam. Next, we also request you to quickly send relevant documents so that Vietnam can urgently consider licensing the vaccine for children and possibly negotiate an additional 5 million doses of vaccine for children.
"This morning, we worked with the leaders of the Cuban Ministry of Health on 8 contents of the bilateral cooperation in the period of 2021-2026, which are relatively comprehensive in terms of research, training, technology transfer and experts. We believe that with this cooperation, the medical cooperation between Vietnam and Cuba will reach a new height, worthy of the friendship between the two countries. We suggest that in addition to transferring vaccine production technology to Vietnam, including the Covid-19 vaccine, you also transfer other drug production technologies to Vietnam. Currently, many Vietnamese enterprises want to cooperate with Cuba," said Mr. Thuan.
At the Center, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc witnessed the Center for Research and Production of Vaccines and Medical Biologicals of the Ministry of Health and the CIGB Center of Cuba sign an agreement to purchase 5 million doses of Cuba's Abdala Covid-19 vaccine; witnessed businesses of the two countries sign an agreement to transfer the technology to produce Soberana 2 vaccine (for children) from a Cuban enterprise to a Vietnamese enterprise.
Speaking after the signing ceremony, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc was delighted to witness this important event and said that this was a very important success of the trip.
"Many areas of cooperation have been signed between the two countries, which are great results of this visit, from politics, foreign affairs to socio-economics and especially the health sector. We have deep faith in the relationship between our two countries and wish the Communist Party of Cuba and the brotherly country of Cuba success and progress towards socialism and national development. I would like to send my greetings to the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba, the President of Cuba and the heroic Cuban people. I believe that the Cuban people will overcome difficulties and move forward in the coming period," President Nguyen Xuan Phuc stated./.
