The President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and member of Political Bureau of Central Committee of Communist Party of that nation, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, arrived in Cuba last Saturday, September 18, on an official visit.
At the same time, the Ministry of Health of Vietnam and the Authority for the Control of Medicines of that Asian nation approved the Authorization for the Emergency Use of Cuban anti-COVID-19 Abdala vaccine, after an exhaustive evaluation of the file that supports the efficacy and effectiveness of this immunogen.
On the afternoon of Saturday itself, the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding for scientific and technical collaboration between the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB) and the Center for Research and Production of Vaccines and Medical Biological Products passed (Polyvac) from Vietnam. PhD. Marta Ayala Ávila, General Director of CIGB, and Dr. Nguyen Dang Hien, director of the aforementioned Vietnamese center, signed this important collaboration agreement. Directors from BioCubaFarma and CIGB itself were present at the meeting.
Signing of Memorandum of Understanding for scientific and technical collaboration between the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB) of Cuba and the Center for Research and Production of Vaccines and Medical Biological Products (Polyvac) of Vietnam.
The next day, September 19, with the participation of PhD. Mayda Mauri Pérez, First Vice President of BioCubaFarma, another scientific-technical meeting was held between representatives of different companies in the Cuban biopharmaceutical sector and representatives of Vietnamese SOVICO Business Group (DS BIO, HD Insurance, Vietjet Air). On the Cuban side, directors of Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB), the Finlay Vaccine Institute (IFV), the Center for Molecular Immunology (CIM), the Center for Biopreparations (BIOCEN) and CIMAB S.A. were present.
Scientific-technical meeting between representatives of different BioCubaFarma companies and the SOVICO Business Group, from Vietnam.
As part of the activities during his official stay in Cuba, today, Monday, September 20, the President of Vietnam visited the CIGB, accompanied by a delegation from that Asian nation. PhD. Eduardo Martínez, President of the Business Group of the Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Industries of Cuba (BioCubaFarma), PhD. Marta Ayala, General Director of CIGB, and other executives, received the Vietnamese president. PhD. Eduardo Martínez presented to the Asian dignitary, the portfolio of the most innovative Cuban biopharmaceutical products, with an emphasis on drugs designed and developed for the treatment of COVID-19.
President of BioCubaFarma receives the President of Vietnam. 
General Director of CIGB receives the President of Vietnam. 
Minister of Public Health of Cuba receives the President of Vietnam.
In an atmosphere of collaboration and respect, the Vietnamese counterpart thanked the presentation, the possibility of the emergency use of Cuban vaccine against COVID-19 Abdala for its people, and expressed interest in working on future innovative biopharmaceutical projects.
President of BioCubaFarma presents a portfolio of products to the President of Vietnam 
Subsequently, PhD. Marta Ayala Ávila, General Director of CIGB, and Dr. Nguyen Dang Hien, Director of Polyvac, from Vietnam, signed a Supply and Distribution Contract for 5 million doses of Cuban anti-COVID-19 vaccine Give it to the Vietnamese people; immunogen that has shown excellent efficacy and effectiveness results.
Signing of the Supply and Distribution Contract of the Cuban vaccine against COVID-19 Abdala to the Vietnamese people.
Then, the President of Vietnam signed the Visitors’ Book to the CIGB and presented a gift to the Director General, as a token of the solidarity and brotherhood that have united both peoples for decades.
The Cuban Minister of Public Health, Dr. José Ángel Portal Miranda; the President of BioCubaFarma, PhD. Eduardo Martínez; the First Vice President of BioCubaFarma, PhD. Mayda Mauri Pérez; the Director General of CIGB, PhD. Marta Ayala Ávila; the Director of Center for State Control of Medicines, Equipment and Medical Devices (CECMED), Dr. Olga Lidia Jacobo Casanueva, representatives of companies in the Vietnamese and Cuban biopharmaceutical sector, and of CIGB itself.
President of Vietnam signs Visitors Book to the CIGB. 
Present given to the Director General of CIGB by President of Vietnam.
At the end of the meeting, the Director General of CIGB, PhD. Marta Ayala Ávila, told to the press:
“The Abdala vaccine has already been endorsed by the Vietnam Medicines Regulatory Agency. There is a tradition of working with the Vietnam Medicines Regulatory Agency and with Vietnamese companies, [as we] exchange and market the recombinant hepatitis B vaccine and the Quimi-Hib vaccine. We consider that this is a project of continuity and also of modernity, because everything has been evolving. The Vietnam Medicines Regulatory Agency, like ours, the CECMED, have demanded the highest requirements, even though they have worked with the necessary speed due to the pandemic, and it is assumed that we make the vaccine available to the public as soon as possible Vietnamese people.”
“Today an Agreement for the Supply and Distribution of Abdala vaccine to the Vietnamese people has been signed. It is a work that has been done thanks to the collaboration, the will of both countries, the Governments and the Ministries of Health and the Regulatory Agencies of Medicines “.
In a message to the CIGB workers, our director said:
“Thanks to the extraordinary effort and results in the vaccination of the Cuban population over 19 years of age, we are on the verge of bringing our Abdala vaccine to the sister Vietnamese country.”
For his part, the President of Vietnam told the press:
“I have the firm confidence that the people of Cuba will overcome all difficulties and achieve more victories.”
In this way, Cuba and Vietnam strengthen the scientific-technical cooperation and health links, and open new perspectives for collaboration in the field of biotechnology.
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