Vietnam and Belarus need to explore and maximize the opportunities for mutual collaboration. Both should commit to increasing trade, facilitating market access for goods, and expanding cooperation into promising sectors.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his Belarusian counterpart Roman Golovchenko. Photos: Nhat Bac

This view was shared during a meeting today [December 8] between Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his Belarusian counterpart Roman Golovchenko, who is currently on a state visit to Vietnam.

At the meeting, Chinh expressed confidence that the first visit by a Belarusian head of government in the past 12 years would inject new vitality into the comprehensive development of bilateral relations.

Chinh emphasized Vietnam's enduring appreciation for the longstanding friendship with Belarus, a bond that has been assiduously nurtured by leaders and people of both nations for generations, especially the historical visits of President Ho Chi Minh to Belarus.

Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko, for his part, expressed his delight at his first official visit to Vietnam and acknowledged Vietnam's impressive socio-economic achievements. Belarus recognized Vietnam as a key partner in Southeast Asia and appreciated the strong traditional ties between the two countries.

Both leaders highlighted the significance of maintaining communication at various levels, particularly at high levels and through various channels, as well as fostering collaboration among ministries, branches, and localities. They pledged to strengthen existing cooperation mechanisms, tailoring their approaches to the unique circumstances of each nation.

Overview of the meeting.

Chinh and Golovchenko pledged to continue their close coordination and mutual support in multilateral forums, with particular emphasis on active participation in the United Nations. The Vietnamese Prime Minister expressed his country’s willingness to serve as a bridge for Belarus to bolster collaboration with ASEAN and sought Belarusian support for Vietnam and ASEAN's position on the East Sea issue.

Acknowledging the positive strides in economic, trade, and investment cooperation, including the implementation of the Free Trade Agreement between Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union, the two Prime Ministers underscored the need to further explore the untapped potential for bilateral collaboration.

Chinh praised the outcomes of the Vietnam-Belarus Business Forum and celebrated the effective operation of the Belarusian investment project, the "MAZ Automobile Manufacturing and Assembly Plant," in Hung Yen Province. He expressed his satisfaction with the ongoing research aimed at establishing production joint ventures in both Vietnam and Belarus, under the respective potential and needs of both sides.

The two sides pledged to make efforts to boost trade volume and facilitate access of goods to each other's markets, encompassing various sectors such as agriculture, aquatic products, dairy items, agricultural fertilizers, and tractors.

Both leaders witness the signing of bilateral cooperation agreements in high potential fields.

They also agreed to broaden their collaboration into promising areas such as information technology, digital transformation, education and training, scientific research, culture, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges. They hailed the cooperation agreement signed between Hanoi and Minsk during the visit of the Belarusian Prime Minister. Additionally, they welcomed the Intergovernmental Agreement on Cooperation in Education signed in June 2023, which aims to increase exchanges of students, lecturers, and experts in mutually beneficial fields.

The two Prime Ministers expressed optimism that the bilateral visa exemption agreement for ordinary passport holders, signed on the occasion, and the Cultural Cooperation Program for the period 2023-2025 inked in May 2023, will significantly contribute to bolstering collaboration in tourism, culture, and people-to-people exchanges between the two nations.

Chinh thanked the leaders and Government of Belarus for their attention to the  Vietnamese community in Belarus so that they could lead a stable life. He urged the Belarusian Government to continue providing favorable conditions for the Vietnamese community in Belarus.

Following the talks, the two leaders witnessed the signing of several bilateral cooperation documents, including agreements on the transfer of persons sentenced to imprisonment, visa exemption for ordinary passport holders, cooperation and information exchange in nuclear safety and radiation protection, and an agreement on the official dissemination of Vietnamese national standards in Belarus.