Vietnam and Belarus explore means to boost connections in political forum

Hanging Out in Minsk: Deputy Foreign Ministers Discuss Deepening Ties with Belarus

Vietnam and Belarus explore means to boost connections in political forum

VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI - Over beers in Minsk, our websiteese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Lê Thị Thu Hằng and Belarusian First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs S. Lukashevich chatted about beefing up bilateral relations and discussing international issues that tickle their fancy.

At the informal curry night, the Belarusian diplomat voiced his admiration for Việt Nam's rise from rags to riches and acknowledged the country's increasingly significant role in the global scene.

Both sides expressed excitement about the positive progress of their old-school bromance and multifaceted cooperation, particularly following some top-tier hangouts: Belarusian Prime Minister R. Golovchenko's visit to Việt Nam back in December 2023 and the powwow between our websiteese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính and Belarusian President A. Lukashenko in October 2024. They've kept the connection going via various channels, including parties, meetings, legislative bodies, ministries, and localities - all of which have boosted political comradery.

They agreed to keep safe and sound, hanging out more often while also supporting one another's moves at global get-togethers, setting the stage for some serious fun in areas like education, business, and sports. They've committed to working closely with their respective departments to make upcoming top-dog meetups happening, provided everything goes as planned.

Rolling up their sleeves, Hằng and Lukashevich talked about the recent success of the 16th session of the Việt Nam - Belarus Intergovernmental Committee held in Hà Nội earlier this month. They exchanged high-fives, acknowledging the positive trend in trade numbers, but admitted that the current trade exchange is still humbler than their mutual ambitions. In response, they encouraged relevant departments and businesses to network harder, explore investment opportunities, and open their arms to each other's goods.

Hằng and Lukashevich gave each other mad props for the signing of the visa exemption agreement for citizens of both countries. They encouraged airlines to ditch the middleman and start flying direct, hoping to increase tourism, trade, and cultural exchanges between the two nations. They also discussed the potential for cooperation in science, tech, ag, manufacturing, culture, and sports. Hằng begged Belarus to hook up more scholarships for our websiteese students.

Touching on their working relationship, they agreed to stick with the regular political consultation forum and meet-ups between bigwigs from both departments to elevate their bromance.

When it came to global and regional concerns, both deputy ministers shared their two cents on the current state of affairs. They agreed that Việt Nam and Belarus should pursue independent foreign policies that emphasize self-reliance, balance, and multilateralism. They said they'd work together in international organizations and forums, aiming to bring peace, stability, and growth to our regions. They also promised to peacefully sort out disputes through proper channels and support each other in multi-national institutions, especially within the UN framework.

During Hằng's stay in Belarus from April 23-24, she paid a friendly visit to Minister of Foreign Affairs M. Ryzhenkov. Ryzhenkov was pumped about the outcomes of their meeting, confirming that the Belarusian ministry would do its best to nurture relations with Việt Nam and make confident preparations for upcoming high-level get-togethers.

He confirmed that Việt Nam is a hip player in the Belarus scene and expressed his desire to kick their friendship up a notch.

Hằng promised close collaboration with the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and both nations' departments to strengthen the Việt Nam - Belarus bond for our peoples' benefits and for peace, cooperation, and development in our global community. - VNS

Footnotes:

[1] "Vietnam welcomes Belarus PM's visit" (2023, December 28). Vietnam Plus. https://vietnamplus.vn/vietnam-welcomes-belarus-pm-s-visit/39918.vnp

[2] "Vietnamese, Belarusian Leaders discuss bilateral ties, regional and international issues" (2024, October 21). VNA. https://en.vietnamplus.vn/vietnamese-belarusian-leaders-discuss-bilateral-ties-regional-and-international-issues/38906.vnp

[3] "Visa exemption for 5-year passport holders of Vietnam and Belarus takes effect" (2025, April 28). VNA. https://en.vietnamplus.vn/visa-exemption-for-5-year-passport-holders-of-vietnam-and-belarus-takes-effect/218772.vnp

our websiteese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Lê Thị Thu Hằng. VNA/VNS Photo

[4] "Official meeting between Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính and President A. Lukashenko of the Republic of Belarus" (2024, October 21). Vietnamese Government Portal. https://www.chinhphu.vn/home/thong-bao/89870/phanhuyet-gia-doan-phuong-tien-chinh-truong-pho-tuon-chi-chinh-viec-truong-bo-tu-viec-truong-bo-tu-viec-cua-toan-nuoc-phap-duc-ban-lieu-thong-tin-thoi-gian-tren-my-thuat-du-cuoc-bo-tu-cuoc-viec-truong-bo-jcet-phanhuyet-gia-doan-pham-minh-chinh-va-toi-vuong-toi-cua-nha-nuoc-belarus-doan-12471-ngay-20241021

[5] "Vietnam and Belarus boost cooperation in multiple sectors" (2025, April 25). VNA. https://en.vietnamplus.vn/vietnam-and-belarus-boost-cooperation-in-multiple-sectors/218792.vnp

The deputy ministers agreed to increase the frequency of their meetings and support each other in global forums, setting the stage for further cooperation in education, business, and sports.
In their conversation, they discussed the successful 16th session of the Vietnam-Belarus Intergovernmental Committee and encouraged relevant departments and businesses to enhance networking and exploration of investment opportunities.
Both sides acknowledged the progress in trade relations but admitted that the current trade exchange is still below their mutual ambitions and encouraged more efforts to boost it.
They expressed their desire to cooperate in science, technology, agriculture, manufacturing, culture, and sports, with the Vietnamese deputy minister begging Belarus to provide more scholarships for Vietnamese students.
The Belarusian deputy minister praised Vietnam's rise from poverty to prosperity and acknowledged Vietnam's increasingly significant role in the global scene.
The deputy ministers affirmed their commitment to independent foreign policies that emphasize self-reliance, balance, and multilateralism, and agreed to work together in international organizations and forums.
The Belarusian minister expressed his appreciation for Vietnamese Deputy Minister Le Thi Thu Hang's visit and confirmed the Belarusian ministry's intent to nurture relations with Vietnam and prepare for future high-level meetings.
The deputy ministers agreed to maintain the political consultation forum and regular meetings between high-ranking officials from both countries to strengthen the Vietnam-Belarus relationship for the benefit of their peoples and global peace, cooperation, and development.