Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 4 September (BelTA) – Vietnamese Ambassador to Belarus Le Anh has outlined new points of growth in the Belarusian-Vietnamese trade as he talked to the media after the meeting with Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, BelTA has learned.

The diplomat said that during the visit of Vietnam President Chiang Dai Kuang to Belarus last year, the heads of state agreed to achieve a bilateral trade of $500 million. In order to reach this goal, the countries should find new ways to promote cooperation, the diplomat said.

One of such promising areas could be agriculture, the ambassador noted. Agriculture is the dominant branch of the economy in Vietnam, as in Belarus. However, each country has its own advantages. Vietnam has an access to the sea and seafood while Belarus has a lot of forests, lakes and well-developed meat and dairy industries. "Therefore, we can complement each other," he said.

According to Le Anh, the second promising area is construction. Vietnam is interested in the construction of metro and highways. This is why the diplomat called on Belarusian building companies to participate more actively in this industry in Vietnam. "Belarusian trucks and quarry equipment are also very popular in my country," the ambassador added.

Besides, the Vietnamese side is interested in new materials, military equipment, cooperation in the tourist industry and mutual student exchange programs.

"If the competent authorities of Vietnam and Belarus work more actively, we will be able to achieve the goal set by the heads of our states," the ambassador concluded.