Vietnam is willing to create favourable conditions for its potential businesses to set up cooperative ties with Belarusian partners, said the state leader.

State President Nguyen Minh Triet made the statement at a meeting with Belarusian Prime Minister Sergey Sidorskiy in Minsk capital late May 13.

At the meeting, Triet said he hoped Sidorskiy and the Belarusian government would take measures to support Belarusian businesses in their cooperation with Vietnamese partners in Belarus’ traditional industries such as heavy truck, tractor and mining equipment manufacturing and fertiliser production as well as other sectors Belarus have potentials namely petroleum, finance and banking.

The State leader asked Belarus to consider signing soon a free trade agreement with Vietnam to further facilitate economic, trade and investment cooperation between the two countries.

At present, numerous Vietnamese businesses, including the Vietnam National Coal and Mineral Industries Group and the Vietnam Engine and Agricultural Machinery Corporation, have enjoyed effective cooperation with Belarusian partners.

On the occasion, Triet affirmed that Vietnam always bears in mind Belarusian people’s valuable supports in the country’s struggle for independence and the cause of national construction.

For his part, Sidorskiy spoke highly of the achievements the Vietnamese people had made in the national renewal and construction process, that helped raise Vietnam ’s prestige in the region and in the world.

Sidorskiy asked Triet to convey his invitation to visit Belarus to Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung./.