During the meeting, Nguyen Ngoc Anh, Vice Chairman of ViMariel's Board of Directors, shared that ViMariel is the first and only foreign-invested enterprise licensed to operate in the Mariel Special Development Zone.
Chairwoman of the Hanoi Fatherland Front Committee Nguyen Lan Huong and Vice Chairman of ViMariel's Board of Directors Nguyen Ngoc Anh.
The company holds land-use rights to invest in, develop, and manage the ViMariel Industrial Park infrastructure, covering an area of 156.24 hectares with a total investment of US$41.3 million. The northern section (86.24 hectares) completed infrastructure construction in late 2022, while work is underway in the southern section (70 hectares) to complete infrastructure by 2024. Currently, 60 hectares of clear land are ready for lease, with five investors operating in the industrial park with total investments exceeding USD 70 million, including two Vietnamese companies specializing in agriculture (producing fertilizers, animal feed, rice, corn, etc.) to support Cuba's food security efforts.
Following directives from General Secretary and President To Lam, after his state visit to Cuba in September 2024, ViMariel JSC is assisting AGRI VMA, a Vietnamese company producing animal feed in Cuba, in implementing a rice farming project under an agreement signed between the Cuban Ministry of Agriculture and Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
ViMariel is also actively promoting investment in the ViMariel Industrial Park, focusing on attracting secondary investors, particularly those from Asia (notably Vietnam and China), with an emphasis on essential industries such as agriculture, livestock, aquaculture, and consumer goods manufacturing and processing.
In her remarks, Huong provided an overview of Hanoi's socioeconomic landscape, commending ViMariel's contributions to Cuba's economic development and efforts to strengthen Vietnam-Cuba economic relations in alignment with the strong political ties between the two countries.
She expressed her hope that ViMariel would continue to uphold national pride, unity, and creativity, overcoming challenges to expand its business operations and contribute to Cuba's development. She also emphasized the company's role as an essential bridge in the relationship between Vietnam and Cuba.