BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

05/07/2006

Belarus sees bright future with Viet Nam

The Belarusian Ambassador to Viet Nam, Alexander Kutselay, spoke with Viet Nam News as his country celebrated Independence Day of the Republic of Belarus on Monday.

What is the significance of July 3?

July 3 is the main holiday of Belarus - the Independence Day of the Republic of Belarus, or the Day of the Republic.

This year we celebrate National Day as well as the 61st anniversary of our victory over fascist aggressors in World War ll.

If our people hadn't manifested powerful energy of resistance, hadn't risen to defend their Motherland in the Great Patriotic War, hadn't liberated our land together with other fraternal nations of the Soviet Union, we would never have gained our independence. There is historical justice and regularity in the fact that, according to the will of our people, this day became the official Independence Day or the Day of the Republic of Belarus.

Celebrating this holiday, we look back to the roots of Belarusian statehood, estimate the progress we have made, outline future trends and make new plans.

Belarusian policy remains the same: to create a socially oriented market economy with appropriate infrastructure, efficient State mechanism and market regulation.

The solution to current problems depends mostly on the co-ordinated actions of all the authorities, directed to improve the people's welfare. Citizens take an active part in all State affairs. For the last 10 years, all the important decisions have been made only after nationwide discussions. This is the essence of the true sovereignty of the people.

In 2005 Belarus determined the following priorities for the next five years: first, the all-round harmonious development of a person (health, education, increase in standard of living) and the guarantee of the principle of social justice; second, innovative development of the national economy; third, increase of export potential on the basis of rising competitiveness of goods and services; fourth, saving energy and resources; fifth, development of the agro-industrial complex and social restoration of the countryside.

At the same time, it is important that our GDP will increase 1.5 times, taking the average salary to US$500.

It has been three months since Alexander Lukashenko was re-elected in Belarus's presidential election. What has been happening in Belarus since the election?

On March 19, the presidential elections took place in Belarus. According to the results compounded by the Central Commission of the Republic of Belarus for Elections and All-Nation Referenda, Alexander Grigorjevich Lukashenko received 82.6 per cent of the votes and won the elections. The 92.6 per cent voter turnout was unprecedented.

The elections were conducted in full compliance with our Constitution and national legislation. The Belarusian people made their choice in favour of further strengthening national statehood and raising the level of well-being.

The Belarusian authorities have done enormous work on the electoral process's preparation to enable every citizen to fully use his or her constitutional right to elect and to be elected.

The year 2005 will go down in history as the beginning of the State program of restoration and development of the countryside. It is centred on people's living and working conditions, and the standard of living of villagers. The key to the solution of this problem is to transform villages, to create agrotowns with productive capacities and social infrastructure concentrated around them. We plan to build about 1,500 such agrotowns. Large-scale technical re-equipment of the agro-industrial sector will be carried out on the basis of domestic machine-building and implementation of new technologies. Up-to-date technology should be adapted to the needs of villages. This will help them to become self-sufficient and provide further dynamic development of this branch with new financial resources. This cardinal solution to many problems in the countryside will also guarantee food security for our country for many years to come.

A view of Victory Square in Minsk, the capital of Belarus.-VNS File Photo

Belarus has recently received a lot of attention, mainly in the context of well-known events in Georgia, Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan. Observing conflicts in these countries, many political scientists and analysts try to find the reasons for and secrets of our stability. But we make no secret of them. The President has stressed that our stability had been achieved by the strong and efficient power that works for the welfare of the people and that doesn't allow anarchy or ethnic and political conflicts. It is because of our stable economy that helps increase the standard of living and internal State policy that consolidates society and mobilises it to build a prosperous country. It is because of the firm basis of civil society - Councils of Deputies, mass youth movement, trade unions and veteran organisations that unite wide groups of society. These components are our strength.

How have visits by the leaders of Viet Nam and Belarus helped boost bilateral ties? Should the two countries exchange such visits more frequently?

In 1997, President Lukashenko visited Viet Nam. This was followed by a delegation led by Prime Minister Sidorskiy in 2004, and by leaders of the National Assembly G. Novitskiy and V. Konoplev in 2005.

Viet Nam's former president Tran Duc Luong visited Belarus in 1998, as did former prime minister Phan Van Khai in 2000.

Visits by Viet Nam Communist Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh in 2002 and former National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Van An added impetus to bilateral relations. Belarus is the one country that has been visited by all four of Viet Nam's highest officials.

President Lukashenko is planning to visit Viet Nam again at the end of 2006.

Belarus is interested in further development of the legislative basis for bilateral relations in order to create favourable conditions for widening mutually beneficial co-operation in different spheres.

How would you assess the contribution of the Joint Intergovernmental Belarus-Viet Nam Commission for trade, economic and scientific and technical co-operation in developing links between the two countries?

Last year the Joint Belarus - Viet Nam Commission met in Ha Noi. As a result, one of our biggest enterprises, the Minsk Automobile Plant, has started assembling MAZ dump-trucks with assistance from a Vietnamese partner, VEAM.

We underline the crucial role the commission will play in developing economic links between our two countries, with the focus of practical co-operation on the automobile and mining industries and agriculture.

Viet Nam is a long-range market for the promotion of Belarus-made heavy trucks in Southeast Asia. Belarus also sells Viet Nam potassium fertilisers, tractors, heavy machinery, dump trucks and other commodities.

High technology, training and co-operation between our countries contain the potential for further economic development

The value of trade between Belarus and Viet Nam in 2005 was $42.5 million, with $40 million achieved through Belarusian exports.

Belarus at a glance:

Area: 207,600 sq.km

Population: 9.8 million

Language: Belarusian, Russian

Capital: Minsk

Currency: Belarus ruble

National Flag: Red with a green strip along the lower edge, and in the hoist a vertical red and white ornamental pattern.

During the visits of PM Sidorskiy in November 2004 and NA Chairman Gennadiy Novitskiy in May 2005, it was agreed that there were real preconditions for an increase in bilateral trade.

Representatives of our major manufacturers have visited Viet Nam. In 2005 our embassy organised many visits to Minsk by representatives of Viet Nam's Tea Corporation and sea-food farmers. More than 50 companies, enterprises, institutes and universities participated in a HCM City exhibition in December 2005.

Our embassy's task is to boost bilateral business contacts.

Belarus has great potential for providing education and professional training because it has a network of modern educational and scientific institutions with highly qualified teachers. - VNS

Source:

http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/showarticle.php?num=01COM050706