Belarusconsiders cooperation with Vietnam one of its prioritised foreign policies inAsia and wishes to elevate it to a strategic partnership, Belarusian Ambassadorto Vietnam Valery Sadokho has affirmed.
Theambassador granted an interview to the Vietnam News Agency on the occasion ofthe Independence Day of Belarus (July 27) and the 70th anniversaryof the country’s liberation from German fascists (July 3).
“Werespect our friendship with Vietnam,” he emphasised, stating that Vietnam ishis country’s key partner in Southeast Asia and that through the countryBelarus will further its interests in this region.
Therefore,Belarus sees developing relations with Vietnam being of extreme importance and boostingtrade with the country as one of its priorities in overseas commerce, hestressed.
Commencedin March 2013, negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA) between Vietnamand the Customs Union of Russia-Belarus-Kazakhstan have experienced six rounds,according to the ambassador.
TheBelarusian side affirmed its wish for the early conclusion of the negotiationstowards the signing of the document by early 2015 since the establishment of afree trade zone will become an important impetus for the sides involved toincrease bilateral trade.
Onceinked, the agreement will also help consolidate the strategic partnershipsamong the parties, he added.
Regardingbilateral two-way trade, the diplomat said that it has increased seven timesover the past decade, reaching 200 million USD in 2013. However, this figureremained modest compared to the two countries’ potential.
Accordingly,the two sides discussed new cooperation orientations, with the one relating to theformation of joint venture projects in the industrial sector, he said.
Belarusis interested in expanding its sales of fertilizers, lorries, auto tyres,tractors, engines, metal and hi-tech products and food in Vietnam and importingfrom the country seafood, rice, cashew nuts, coffee, tea, pepper, vegetables,rubber and other products.
Vietnameseand Belarusian organisations have signed a number of cooperation agreements inthe fields of science-technology and energy, he said.
Bilateralcooperation in culture has developed fruitfully, with the Belarus Cultural Daysslated for this November in Vietnam.
Regardinglabour connection, the ambassador stated that an intergovernmental agreement ontemporary employment of Vietnamese citizens in Belarus and Belarusian citizensin Vietnam entered into force in 2013.
Lastyear, 350 Vietnamese people went to work in Belarus and the figure in the firsthalf of this year was 230, he said, adding that the demand for Vietnameseworkers is on the rise.
He expressed his belief that the increasingcooperation in this field and the facilitation of labour migration will helpreinforce mutual trust and respect between the two nations.-VNA
