Defence cooperation between Vietnam and Belarus has gone smoothly, in line with the overall framework of their traditional friendship and multifaceted partnership as well as signed international treaties and agreements, said Minister of National Defence General Phan Van Giang.
Gen. Nguyen Tan Cuong, Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army and Deputy Minister of National Defence, proposed that the two sides continue to closely coordinate to effectively advance cooperation in key areas, including maintaining delegation exchanges, implementing signed agreements, expanding collaboration in training and military competitions, and supporting each other’s international defence exhibitions.
In addition to traditional fields such as materials science, semiconductors, laser, optics, biodiversity conservation, and water treatment, both sides agreed to expand into new areas such as space technology and Earth observation, biomedical science and nuclear medicine, and drones.
The two top legislators stressed the need to complete a roadmap for cooperation for the 2025–2027 period while strengthening collaboration through the parliamentary channel, with a focus on finalising discussions and moving towards the signing of a new cooperation agreement between the two legislatures.
President Cuong affirmed that the Party, State, and people of Vietnam always attach great importance to the traditional friendship with Belarus, and wishes to further promote bilateral cooperation in fields where Belarus has strengths and Vietnam has demand, such as science and technology, industry, and agriculture.
The Vietnamese Embassy in Belarus, in coordination with the association of Vietnamese people there, has recently organised a ceremony to launch a movement honouring the Vietnamese language and officially open the 4th "Vietnamese Language Summer Camp" for the Vietnamese community.
Beyond opening a new chapter of cooperation with traditional friends from the former Soviet Union, the tour reinforced and redefined Vietnam’s relationships with these countries, based on the long-standing friendship nurtured by generations of leaders and people of Vietnam and the respective nations.
The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency.
Party General Secretary To Lam and President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko agreed to elevate bilateral ties to a strategic partnership during talks held on May 12, as part of the former’s state visit to Belarus.
The Party General Secretary’s visit was of important significance as it not only deepened trust between Vietnam and its traditional partners but also reaffirmed Vietnam’s enduring commitment to strengthening ties with countries of the former Soviet Union, including Belarus
In the document, Vietnam and Belarus affirmed their intent to deepen joint work across a wide range of fields to safeguard national interests and contribute to peace, stability, cooperation, and prosperity in the regions and the world.
The two leaders applauded the recent progress of economic, trade, and investment ties, agreeing on the necessity to further tap into the cooperation potential generated by the free trade agreement between Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), of which Belarus is a member.
Vietnamese Party General Secretary To Lam and President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko inked the statement following their talks in Minsk, part of the former’s state visit to Belarus.
The Party chief said that he is pleased to see that the Vietnamese community in Belarus, although not large, is successful and supportive of each other.
The state visit to Belarus by Party General Secretary To Lam, his spouse, and the high-level Vietnamese delegation marks a new impetus for strengthening and expanding bilateral ties. It is expected to help deepen the already strong relationship, enhance the effectiveness of existing mechanisms, and establish new ones, aiming for more regular, substantive, and effective cooperation in the years to come.
Vietnam consistently attaches importance to its traditional friendship with Belarus and wishes to further strengthen cooperation across all fields for the mutual benefit of the two nations, and for peace, cooperation, and development in the region and around the world.
Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1992, Vietnam and Belarus have maintained and developed the traditional friendship and multi-faceted cooperation with increasingly high political trust.
On the afternoon of May 11 (local time), Party General Secretary To Lam and his wife, along with a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation, arrived in Minsk, beginning a State visit to the Republic of Belarus from May 11 to 12 at the invitation of President Aleksandr Lukashenko.
The coming state visit to Belarus by Party General Secretary To Lam is expected to create new impetus to consolidate and strengthen the bilateral relations, and open up opportunities for businesses of the two countries in trade and investment cooperation.
The ambassador said that the visit is also expected to enhance the effectiveness of existing mechanisms, form new cooperation mechanisms, help ministries, agencies, localities and businesses of the two countries to better understand each other's potential, and seek more cooperation opportunities.