President Tran Dai Quang speaks at the seminar (Source: VNA)Addressing a Vietnam-Belarus economic seminar in Minsk, Belarus, on June 27 aspart of his ongoing visit to the country, the Vietnamese State leader affirmedBelarus is a priority partner in Vietnam’s partnership with the Eurasian Economic Union.
The two countries’ business communities arenot only part of the economic cooperation but also should initiate ideas,creating impetus for bilateral trade and investment links, thus strengthening relationsbetween Vietnam and Belarus, he suggested.
Introducing Belarusian firms to Vietnam’s potential, President Quang said after nearly 30 years of high and stable economic growth, Vietnam has become an economyworth more than 220 billion USD, and run as an open economy withtrade scale 1.6 times greater than GDP.
Vietnamhas attracted more than 300 billion USD of foreign direct investment from 119partners, becoming an important link in the global value chain, especially inelectronics, garments and textiles and agriculture.
Thecountry has invested in 72 countries and territories with total registeredcapital of 21 billion USD, in the fields of mining, telecommunications, agro-forestry,IT, finance-banking and services.
According to PresidentQuang, the free trade agreement between Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union, which took effect in late 2016, opens new prospects ineconomic and trade cooperation between the two countries.
Vietnam hopes toreceive more investment from the Eastern European nation, especially inBelarus’s strong fields such as automobile and automotive components manufacture,mechanics and industrial devices, he said.
The Vietnamese State also encourages local enterprises to invest in Belarus inIT, consumer products and agriculture, he said, affirming that Vietnam willmake it easy for Belarusian firms operating in industry, mechanics, energy andminerals to bring their products to Vietnam.
Meanwhile, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, in his opening remarks atthe event, praised Vietnam’s dynamic development, saying the BelarusianGovernment will support Vietnamese enterprises to enhance investment andbusiness in the country.
Belarus wishes to boost industrial production cooperation with Vietnam, and thecountry will establish a tractor and power excavator manufacturing jointventure in Vietnam in the future, he revealed.
He said that many leading Belarusian hi-tech firms plan to launch plants inindustrial parks in Vietnam to manufacture auxiliary equipment and thatBelarusian firms are willing to share experience in developing metro systems andunderground projects.
Belarus considers Vietnam a bridge to reinforce its position in Southeast Asia,thus bringing its products and services to other ASEAN nations, and Vietnamesefirms can use the Belarus market as a gateway to Europe, Lukashenko stressed.
He also called on Vietnamese businesses to invest in, produce and sell theirproducts in his country.
Vietnamese companiescan set up joint ventures with Belarusian counterparts in producing dried-milkproducts, processing seafood, tea and coffee, producing gas from crude oil,developing ICT and tourism, he noted.
The seminar brought together nearly 500 businesses from the two countries.-VNA
VNA
