HANOI, 8 December (BelTA) – Belarus and Vietnam have no unresolved issues of fundamental nature, Belarus’ Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko said as he met with Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Pham Minh Chinh, BelTA has learned.
“We were there for each other in the most difficult times. Belarusians helped the Vietnamese people in their fight for freedom and independence. It would not be an overstatement to say that our friendship has been time-tested. We are grateful to the leadership of Vietnam for their readiness to cooperate with us in new conditions and for their determination to build and expand mutually beneficial relations with our country,” the prime minister said.
He also mentioned positive trends in trade and economic cooperation. In 2022 bilateral trade amounted to $180 million. In January-September 2023 year, it already exceeded $200 million, and both Belarus and Vietnam have increased their export to each other. “There is every reason to believe that by the end of the year the trade will be much bigger. It is really gratifying to see such dynamics. But we believe that we can do much better. Thus, we need to find untapped reserves to expand our economic cooperation,” Roman Golovchenko emphasized.
That was the reason why the Belarusian delegation arrived in Vietnam, the head of government noted. “One part of it is working in Hanoi, the other one is taking part in the Vietnam Expo 2023 in Ho Chi Minh City. 33 Belarusian organizations presented their products at a collective pavilion. A Belarus-Vietnam business forum is also planned. We expect these events to help us find new partners and sign mutually beneficial agreements,” the prime minister added.
The Belarusian side has particularly high hopes on industrial cooperation. Since 2019 special-purpose equipment based on Belarus’ MAZ vehicles has been produced in Vietnam’s Hung Yen Province. Equipment is assembled using Belarus-made vehicle kits; previously supplied vehicles are upgraded. The company can produce in Vietnam about 500 all-wheel drive vehicles per year. Roman Golovchenko is convinced that this project needs to be scaled up. He also welcomed progress in cooperation in agriculture.