Official visit of Vietnam’s Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong

Belarus and Vietnam are eager to advance partnership and cooperation to a brand-new level. The agreement was reached after the negotiations between President of the Republic of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko and General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong on 26 November.

Vietnam is a significant and time-tested partner of Belarus in Southeast Asia, the Belarusian head of state stressed. He noted that despite the geographical distance the two countries have been bound together by ties of close friendship and mutual aid for decades. In his words, Belarus and Vietnam vigorously cooperate in all areas today.

Welcoming the Vietnamese delegation, Aleksandr Lukashenko said: “We remember very well our joint fight for Vietnam’s independence,” the head of state said. In his words, Belarus is ready to do everything it can to help resolve the issues that Vietnam might face today. The President noted that the Belarusian people “treat our Vietnamese friends with utmost respect and tact”.

Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized that Vietnam’s influence is constantly growing on the regional and global scales. The two countries have similar approaches to topical matters of international politics and productively cooperate within the framework of international organizations.

“We see many untapped reserves for further enhancing our partnership. It is primarily true for the trade and economy,” the head of state said. Belarusian companies are capable of considerably increasing the shipment of Belarusian machines to the Vietnamese market, primarily, agricultural machines and automobiles.

The President stressed that in trade relations Belarus is ready to use modern instruments such as leasing, export loans and insurance.

The implementation of joint large-scale projects can give a serious impetus to the development of relations between Belarus and Vietnam, Aleksandr Lukashenko believes.

The head of state emphasized that Belarus has accumulated huge experience in the engineering and construction of facilities of different complexity, development of infrastructure, modernization of agriculture. In his opinion, Belarus has made big achievements in the energy sector and other industries. “We are ready to share this experience with our Vietnamese friends,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said. He believes that industrial cooperation is a promising avenue of Belarus-Vietnam ties. MAZ vehicles are already assembled in Vietnam. Taking into account the project to upgrade the passenger bus fleet in Vietnam, the President of Belarus suggested opening a joint venture to produce passenger vehicles in Vietnam.

Belarus is also interested in more active operation of Vietnamese corporations on the Belarusian market. For example, such companies as Viettel can partake in various investment projects in Belarus. By the way, a joint venture to process Vietnamese coffee has been already launched in Minsk District.

Aleksandr Lukashenko also underlined that the products made as part of such projects can sell well on the market of the Eurasian Economic Union.

“Belarus expects that Vietnam will become a kind of springboard for Belarus to promote its economic interests of Belarus in the Southeast Asian region,” the President said.

The head of state stressed the importance of developing economic relations with Vietnam in all areas. According to him, in the present circumstances Belarus and Vietnam should promote cooperation not only in education but also in science and high technology.

The President noted that the cooperation in education between the countries has good traditions since the times of the Soviet Union. About 100 Vietnamese students study in Belarus every year. Aleksandr Lukashenko has proposed to increase the number of Vietnamese students in Belarusian universities. Belarus can train professionals in various fields in accordance with the needs of Vietnam. The President also considers it necessary to intensify the work of the joint Belarusian-Vietnamese center created with the participation of the academies of sciences of the two countries for the development of new technologies and their assimilation in the instrument and mechanical engineering.

In his view, there are prospects for the two countries in the military-technical cooperation. Belarus invites the Vietnamese leadership to develop a long-term strategy for cooperation in this area.

At the meeting the general secretary of the Central Committee of the Vietnamese Communist Party invited the Belarusian President to visit Vietnam. Aleksandr Lukashenko accepted the invitation and promised to arrive in Hanoi in 2015. “I will certainly come to Vietnam in the future,” the Belarusian head of state said. He suggested discussing the preparation of large-scale bilateral agreements during today’s meeting.

After the talks Aleksandr Lukashenko and Nguyen Phu Trong met with mass media representatives.

The President remarked that for a long time Vietnam and the then Soviet Union and after that Belarus were connected and are still connected by ties of traditional friendship and mutually beneficial multidimensional cooperation. For many years Belarusian citizens worked in Vietnam and helped fight aggressors in difficult times. Belarusians know well and remember the history of that fight. The two nations are united by the terrible wars they have lived through.

At present Belarus and Vietnam persistently advance the political dialogue at all levels, including the top level. According to Aleksandr Lukashenko, Belarus and Vietnam successfully cooperate in many areas of interstate relations.

Aleksandr Lukashenko noted that there are no disagreements between the two countries regarding the international agenda. Belarus and Vietnam have similar views on the establishment of a fair world order based on the enhancement of the multipolar world and the observance of universally recognized norms of international law.

“We are about to reach a brand-new level of cooperation between the two countries. We will continue the policy of progressively advancing the bilateral interaction between the two countries in all areas,” the Belarusian President remarked.

He also stressed that Belarus welcomes the intention of Vietnam to sign a free trade agreement with the Customs Union.

According to the President, the Belarusian enterprises can boost supplies of goods necessary for Vietnam. These may be industrial and technological equipment, mining, automotive and special equipment, tires, food and other products. Belarus, in turn, is interested in the goods which, due to climatic conditions, cannot be made in Belarus. These are, in particular, processed tropical fruits, seafood, rubber, tea, spices, coffee, textile products.

Raising investment in new joint ventures, infrastructure projects is a promising area of economic cooperation, according to Aleksandr Lukashenko.

Belarus and Vietnam count on a breakthrough in relations and expect to advance partnership to a brand-new level.

“I believe that the implementation of a number of events which will help make a breakthrough in relations between Belarus and Vietnam will be the main result of this visit. Our relations will advance to the highest level of partnership and strategic cooperation,” the Belarusian head of state stressed.

After the negotiations Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko and General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong passed a joint statement on bolstering and advancing friendship relations and comprehensive Belarusian-Vietnamese cooperation.

In an atmosphere of friendship and mutual understanding the two heads of state informed each other about the state of affairs in both countries, evaluated results achieved in the development of the bilateral relations, confirmed the readiness to bolster cooperation, and exchanged views on some regional and international matters of mutual interest.

The sides agreed to step up the positive political dialogue at all levels in matters of bilateral relations, regional and international problems. They agreed to step up the exchange of delegations, continue the improvement of the legal base of the bilateral cooperation. Belarus and Vietnam confirmed the huge potential for developing bilateral ties and agreed to enable favorable conditions for the advancement of relations in trade, economic, and investment spheres, in such fields as mechanical engineering, agriculture, petrochemistry, light industry, information technologies, electronics, and the extraction of mineral resources.

Belarus and Vietnam agreed to explore the possibility of establishing direct air service between the countries and a visa-free regime for short-term business trips. According to them, this would contribute to the enhancing of bilateral trade and economic relations.

Aleksandr Lukashenko and Nguyen Phu Trong agreed on the need for state support and development of joint ventures and enterprises in the territories of the two countries, their inclusion in the government economic programs.

The sides agreed that the official visit of the general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam to Belarus will make an important contribution to the strengthening of the relations of traditional friendship and multilateral cooperation between Belarus and Vietnam.