BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

05/04/2008

Belarus - Vietnam's reliable, promising partner

VietNamNet Bridge - Belorussian President Alexander Lukashenko stated that Belarus is a reliable and promising partner of Vietnam .

He made the statement in an interview he granted to the Vietnam News Agency special envoy in Minsk on April 4 before his upcoming visit to Vietnam .

President Lukashenko emphasised the previous value of the Belarus-Vietnam friendship that has helped create a firm foundation for the two countries' relationships for decades.

He affirmed that Belarus and Vietnam have forged close political ties and a constructive coordination in the international arena.

Talking about the two countries' viewpoints and activities in the framework of the United Nations, President Lukashenko commented that the coordination of actions between Belarus and Vietnam was fruitful and beneficial to the two countries' interest.

He cited the two countries' similar stances on major international issues, particularly in building an equal world order based on the principle of strengthening the multi-polar world and respecting recognised international legal standards.

The two countries have shared viewpoints on resolutions to the hot-spots in the Middle East and Africa and both advocated an increased role of the United Nations in handling economic and humanity problems, the President said.

"Our countries share similar viewpoints on the human rights issue and together fight against the 'double standards' that several countries impose on the issue," he said.

On bilateral economic and trade ties, the President said two-way trade value, though reaching more than 60 million USD in 2007, has yet to match the two countries' economic potential. Hence, it is necessary to facilitate business operation in the Belorussian and Vietnamese markets, he emphasised.

Regarding the upcoming Vietnam visit, the President said the two sides are scheduled to sign a series of documents towards the target of 100 million USD in two-way trade in the coming time. " Vietnam has many changes since my previous visit but one thing remains unchanged: Vietnam is still a friend of Belarus ," he said.

President Lukashenko expressed his belief that his visit will promote the comprehensive development of the two countries' relationship in politics, economics, culture and humanities.

He went on to say, "I really hope that the meetings in Vietnam will have concrete contents and create a strong momentum for the relationship between Belarus and Vietnam to further develop."

Source:

http://english.vietnamnet.vn/politics/2008/04/776898/

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