Vietnam will do its utmost to strengthen and develop its friendship with Belarus , a traditional friendly nation that has always supported Vietnam in the past struggle for national liberation and construction.

State President Nguyen Minh Triet made this statement while receiving the visiting Chairman of the Belarusian House of Representatives, Vladimir Andreichenko, in Hanoi on Oct. 20.

Vietnam and Belarus hold potential for further cooperation, and the two countries should increase meetings between ministries and localities to fully realise the advantages of cooperation, President Triet said.

The State leader also affirmed that Vietnam was willing to work as a bridge to help Belarus expand cooperative ties with other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Andreichenko spoke highly of Vietnam ’s growing role in the region and the international arena. Belarus wished to step up multifaceted cooperation with Vietnam , especially economic, trade and investment ties, he said.

Belarus was willing to supply such products as fertilisers and heavy-duty trucks to Vietnam , and wants to import Vietnamese foods and set up farm processing zones in Belarus , he said.

The same day, Andreichenko was received by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, who hailed the former’s first visit to Vietnam and said that it would contribute to promoting the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation between the two nations.

PM Dung said Vietnam-Belarus relations were growing fruitfully, particularly in politics, diplomacy, economics, trade, culture, education and training, and many Vietnamese people have been studying in Belarus .

However, the PM noted that the trade and investment ties of the two economies had failed to fulfil the potential of a sturdy bilateral relationship.

Andreichenko told his host that time-honoured friendship was a foundation and a favourable condition for Belarus and Vietnam to expand cooperation in many fields.

The lawmaker said he hoped that in the future the two countries would further boost cooperation in the fields where Belarus had strengths, such as manufacturing agricultural machines and truck components./.