At his talkswith Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk on November 26,the Vietnamese Party leader also affirmed that Vietnam treasures thetraditional friendship with Belarus.
President Lukashenko saidGeneral Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s visit provides a new push tofurther the ties between the two countries, adding that Belarusconsiders developing ties with Vietnam one of the priorities in itsforeign policy in the Asian region.
Discussingmajor measures to intensify the Vietnam-Belarus comprehensive relationsin the time to come, the two leaders agreed to continue increasinghigh-level visits and contacts, and step up relations via diversechannels such as party, parliament, government, social organisation andpeople-to-people exchange.
As a member of theCustoms Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, Belarus will work toaccelerate the negotiations for the early signing of a Free TradeAgreement (FTA) between Vietnam and the Union, President Lukashenkosaid.
Belarus will facilitate the entry of Vietnamese goods intoits market, especially agricultural products, seafood, woodwork,garments and coffee, he added.
Both host and guest agreed tocreate conditions for both countries’ businesses to seek cooperationopportunities in various areas including information andtelecommunications.
General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong andPresident Lukashenko spoke highly of the effective defence cooperationbetween the two countries over the past time. Belarus pledged tocontinue provide training for Vietnamese military officers and expandtraining programmes in Vietnam.
The two leaders consented tostep up collaboration in education-training, culture, sports andtourism, and terrorism and trans-national crime combat, as well as tocontinue expanding relations in labour and vocational training.
Theywere pleased at the close cooperation between the two countries in theframework of the United Nations and the Non-Aligned Movement as well asat international forums and organisations. They agreed to furtherincrease close affiliation and sharing of information on regional andinternational matters through existing cooperation mechanisms as well asbilateral and multilateral channels.
Regarding the East Seaissue, the two leaders voiced their concern over recent complicateddevelopments in the sea, hoping that concerned parties will solve theirdisputes by peaceful means in respect for international law, includingthe 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and theDeclaration of the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) whilestriving for the early conclusion of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea(COC), in order to ensure peace, security, safety and freedom ofnavigation and aviation in the waters.
After thetalks, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and President Lukashenkojointly chaired a press conference on the outcomes of their discussions.
The same day, the Party chief and his entouragelaid a wreath at the Monument to Victory in Minsk city and met withrepresentatives of the Vietnamese community in the country.-VNA