(VNF) - The Vietnam-Belarus Friendship Association (VBFA) on February 26^th hosted a friendship exchange at the headquarters of Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO) in Hanoi to celebrate the 25^th founding anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic relationship.

The ceremony saw the participation of Deputy Head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations Nguyen Tuan Phong; Head of EU Department of VUFO Pham Thi Thai, VBFA President Nguyen Thai Lai; representatives from departments and agencies; members of VUFA and students who once lived and studied in Belarus.

On the Belarusian side, Vladimir Goshin, Ambassador of Belarus to Vietnam; and representatives of the Embassy of Belarus in Vietnam and Belarusian entrepreneurs also attended the event.

VBFA President Nguyen Thai Lai speaks at the friendship exchange on Sunday (Feb. 26^th) in Hanoi.

In his speech, VBFA President Nguyen Thai Lai highlighted the significance of the event to the friendship and cooperation between the two nations and people.

Two countries maintained high level political dialogues and provided fruitful co-operation in the international arena based towards numerous issues. High-level visits in the two past years like the visit of the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong to Belarus and State visit of the President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko to Vietnam, gave great impetus to the development of relations.

The VBFA serves as a bridge to further promote the bilateral ties. The Association has regularly organised people-to-people exchange activities and arranged visits by Vietnamese alumni in Belarus to their former schools, he added.

24^th of January, 2017 marks 25 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Belarus and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and two countries are connected by close friendship between their people.

Addressing the event, Ambassador of Belarus to Vietnam, Vladimir Goshin, affirmed that Belarus regards co-operation with Vietnam as one of priorities of its foreign policy in Asia and wishes to establish a strategic partnership.

Ambassador of Belarus to Vietnam, Vladimir Goshin addresses the event.

“In South East Asia, Vietnam is a traditional trade partner for Belarus. Except for geographical distance and normal competition with third parties, our bilateral relations have few issues prohibiting expansion of economic connections, since the economic structure of Vietnam and Belarus is mostly complementary. During the previous 10 years our trade turnover has increased threefold, but this is still far from the full potential,” he said.

Bilateral relations have developed in various fields, especially in politics, economics-trade, and culture, he noted.

Thousands of Vietnamese citizens were educated in Belarus when it was a part of the USSR and later when the country became independent. Many Belarusians helped Vietnam restore its national economy after war and to build crucial industrial projects.

In 2016, the two foreign ministries have reached a consensus on the simplification of visa procedures for both sides’ citizens, which helps expand links and attract more Belarusian tourists to Vietnam.

“Brands like heavy-duty dump trucks of BelAZ, MAZ trucks, tractors “Belarus” have been well known in Vietnam for decades. Belarus wishes to increase exports to the Vietnamese market of high-quality goods like potassium fertilisers, ultra large off-road tires, buses, engines, radio electronic industry products and other items. Belarusian goods have stable demand among Vietnamese consumers and due to the combination of price and quality are effective for the development of the Vietnamese economic,” he said.

“The Belarusian consumer has also got accustomed to Vietnamese goods such as apparel, shoes, seafood, tea, coffee, nuts, spices, processed fruits and vegetables and, in recent years, cell phones, printers and computers marked with the label ‘Made in Vietnam’.”

The Vietnam-Eurasian Economic Union Free Trade deal, which took effect in October 2016, will open opportunities for trade development between the two countries, Ambassador Vladimir Goshin said, affirming the crucial role of people-to-people exchange in boosting Vietnam-Belarus ties.

The Ambassador expressed his belief that the Vietnam-Belarus relations will be stronger in the future, thus bringing more benefits to the two peoples.

Also, the Belarusian Embassy in Vietnam is working with its Vietnam partners to hold a Belarusian cultural day in Vietnam in Hanoi and Lao Cai in May.

Delegates and ‘Nguon Sang’ Group, which won first prize of the contest “Learning about Belarus and the Vietnam-Belarus relations”, from the People's Security Academy, took photo on Feb. 26^th.

On the occasion, the VBFA and the Belarusian Embassy in Vietnam announced the winners of the contest “Learning about Belarus and the Vietnam-Belarus relations”, which aimed to promote cultural and tourism exchanges between the two nations and presented to them the awards./.

Minh Phuong