Minsk (VNA) - Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son met with Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs Maxim Ryzhenkov in Minsk on May 12 as part of Party General Secretary To Lam’s state visit to the country.

Son expressed his sincere appreciation to Ryzhenkov and his colleagues for their meticulous preparations for the first visit to Belarus by a Vietnamese Party chief after 11 years. He described the visit as historically significant, demonstrating deep political trust and a mutual desire to advance the bilateral relations into a new phase of substantive and effective development.

Welcoming the agreements reached by the leaders of both countries, he affirmed that the outcomes of the visit will not only open a new chapter for Vietnam-Belarus relations but also create momentum to expand cooperation between the two countries and between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), particularly as Belarus assumes the rotating chairmanship of the EAEU this year.

Meanwhile, Ryzhenkov laid stress on the historic significance of the visit, with the elevation of the bilateral ties to a Strategic Partnership that will contribute to deepening the traditional friendship between the two countries.

He expressed his confidence that the newly established partnership framework will create fresh opportunities for cooperation across multiple sectors, including politics – diplomacy, defence – economic security, economy, trade and investment, energy – oil, agriculture, mining, cultural exchange, education, and tourism.

The two ministers concurred to join hands to develop a roadmap for implementing the Vietnam – Belarus Strategic Partnership and an action plan between their respective foreign ministries. They committed to establishing consultation mechanisms at the department and institute levels while continuing to play a central coordinating role in carrying out agreements reached by the leaders of both countries.

They also agreed to support ministries, agencies, localities, and especially businesses in increasing exchanges, exploring opportunities, and promoting investment in each other's markets. They consented to coordinate with relevant agencies to remove obstacles and open new opportunities for bilateral trade and investment cooperation.

On this occasion, Son extended his invitation to Ryzhenkov to visit Vietnam soon, which the Belarusian minister glad🅷ly accepted./