OREANDA-NEWS. Belarus is interested in intensifying the projects with Vietnam in the car and tractor industry, Prime Minister of Belarus Sergei Sidorsky told Chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong on April 30. The Premier reminded, the two countries signed a memorandum of cooperation in assembling MAZ vehicles in Vietnam.

“I would like to ask for the relevant assistance in the project and in the project of tractor construction jointly with MTZ,” Sergei Sidorsky said.

According to him, Belarus and Vietnam have developed a large legal base for cooperation, signed over 40 documents including agreements on assistance in protection of investments, trade and economic cooperation, double-taxation avoidance and others. In April 2008, the two presidents signed a consular convention and a joint declaration what significantly expanded the relations between the two countries.

According to the Prime Minister of Belarus, in November 2008 the Belarusian-Vietnamese commission for trade and economic cooperation signed the trade and economic cooperation programme for 2009-2010. Sergei Sidorsky has noted it gives every opportunity to step up bilateral relations and boost trade. In 2008, the bilateral trade almost doubled in comparison with 2007.

In April 2009, Belarus organized its exposition at an international exhibition in Vietnam. During a regular session of the joint commission, the sides signed several agreements on trade and economic cooperation despite the difficulties caused by the global financial and economic crisis.
The Belarusian Prime Minister noted the importance of cooperation in the scientific area. According to him, Belarusian and Vietnamese universities have 17 direct agreements. Some 111 Vietnamese students attend Belarusian universities.

Belarus and Vietnam have been carrying out 16 research projects. “We will continue to develop our relations for the benefit of the Belarusian and Vietnamese economies,” the Prime Minister said.

Chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong highly praised the cooperation of the two countries in all the branches. He noted that the goal of his visit is to strengthen the legal base of the bilateral cooperation, to find new avenues of the cooperation.