Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 21 January (BelTA) – Vietnam will continue strengthening traditionally friendly relations with Belarus, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Vietnam to Belarus Le Anh said at a meeting in the House of Friendship on 21 January to mark the 24^th anniversary of the Belarusian-Vietnamese diplomatic relations, BelTA informs.

Vietnam and Belarus share long-standing friendship which roots go deep into the Soviet Union period. A new stage in the history of the bilateral relations started on 24 January 1992 when Belarus and Vietnam signed an agreement to establish diplomatic relations. “Over the past 24 years we have made great progress. We have been maintaining close contacts at the highest level, strengthening political mutual trust, securing support in international organizations, first of all, in the United Nations and the Non-Aligned Movement in what concerned the most important issues of international development. We have been developing cooperation in economy, education, culture, communications and transport, security,” said Le Anh. Vietnam is Belarus’ traditional trading partner in Southeast Asia. Belarus buys Vietnamese transmission equipment, office appliances, sea food, rice, fruit, tea and coffee. Belarus’ main exports comprise potash fertilizers, truck sets, tractors, rock handlers, buses, wines and spirits, dairy products.

The diplomat took note of last year's state visit of Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko to Vietnam. The high-level meetings and talks resulted in the signing of a set of documents defining the Belarusian-Vietnamese cooperation prospects.

“There is every reason to believe that with joint efforts we will be able to strengthen the whole range of mutually beneficial relations and make the maximum use of the opportunities that open before us. Despite the demographic distance, we will be actively advancing mutually beneficial cooperation,” Le Anh said.

The head of the Vietnamese diplomatic mission added that 12^th congress of the Vietnam’s Communist Party, an important event in the political life of the country, opened on 20 January. “It means that the country’s new leadership will be elected, and we are confident that the decisions adopted at the congress will give a new impetus to Vietnam’s development,” the Ambassador stressed.

In turn, Chairman of the Belarus-Vietnam Friendship Society, Chairman of the Union of the Belarusian Veterans of the Vietnamese War Mikhail Vinogradov said that the relations between the two states are supported at the highest level. A regular exchange of high-level visits testifies to the fact. Besides, last year Belarus played host to the Week of Vietnamese Culture. The Belarus-Vietnam Friendship Society and the Belarusian veterans of the Vietnamese War are invited to friendship meetings organized by the Vietnamese embassy, including during the visits of Vietnam’s officials. Mikhail Vinogradov emphasized that the Belarus-Vietnam Friendship Society is ready to join the economic, scientific, education and cultural cooperation program for 2016-2018 signed by the Presidents of Belarus and Vietnam in Hanoi in December 2015.

Attending the event at the House of Friendship were representatives of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, creative intellectuals.