Belarus wants to be assisted by Vietnam in efforts to expand its presence in Southeast Asian markets, Belarus’s Prime Minister Mikhail Myasnikovich has said.

ASEAN markets with a combined 500 million population offer a great potential for trade activities, the PM told a press briefing in the capital city of Minsk on September 14.

He said the fine traditional relationship with Vietnam, which is seen by Belarus as a centre in Southeast Asia, can help speed up the signing of a free trade agreement (FTA) between the single economic space (EEP), which consists of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, and ASEAN.

Through it, Belarus can also diversify and increase significantly its export lines to Southeast Asia, the PM said.-VNA