Vietnam - Belarus: Realizing the Strategic Partnership

Direct flights, visa exemptions, growing trade, and new cooperation projects are concrete steps forward one year after Vietnam and Belarus upgraded to a Strategic Partnership.

Belarusian Ambassador to Vietnam Uladzimir Uladzimiravich stated that the past year marked a new phase of development in bilateral relations following the State visit to the Republic of Belarus by General Secretary To Lam and the signing of a Joint Declaration with President Aleksandr Lukashenko on establishing a Strategic Partnership.

General Secretary To Lam and President Aleksandr Lukashenko signed a Joint Declaration on establishing a Vietnam-Belarus Strategic Partnership in May 2025. Photo: VNA

"Our relationship has been elevated to a new level of quality," he emphasized in an interview with the Hanoi Press and Broadcasting Agency.

According to the Ambassador, this result reflects the deep trust and friendship between the leaders and people of the two countries, and expands the scope of cooperation in many areas of mutual interest.

Existing results

According to the Ambassador, the economy and trade sector continue to be a highlight. Thanks to the joint efforts of both sides, bilateral trade turnover last year reached its highest level ever, with Belarus's exports to Vietnam reaching their highest level in 12 years.

He asserted that the two economies do not compete directly but rather complement each other.

The removal of trade barriers has facilitated access to the Vietnamese market for Belarusian machinery, confectionery, and alcoholic beverages. Meanwhile, Belarus is increasing its imports of rice, nuts, coffee, seafood, and various textiles, footwear, equipment, and machinery from Vietnam.

Both sides are also looking towards new forms of cooperation, including joint ventures to produce high-tech products for the domestic market and for export to third countries.

Several projects have been implemented. Last August, Belarus handed over 10 BelAZ heavy-duty trucks to Lao Cai province. This April, the first batch of Belarusian beef was exported to Vietnam. Many other programs are continuing to be promoted.

Science and technology have also emerged as a priority area, with active participation from the Belarusian National Academy of Sciences and the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology.

In addition, business connections have been strengthened through trade promotion activities. The Belarus-Vietnam Business Seminar, held within the framework of Vietnam Expo on April 10, 2026 in Hanoi, attracted more than 120 delegates, focusing on expanding trade and optimizing logistics. A similar event is planned to be held in Ho Chi Minh City later this year with the support of the Belarusian Consulate General.

Vietnam and Belarus have a long-standing relationship, carefully nurtured by President Ho Chi Minh and successive generations of leaders.

"Despite being separated by more than 7,000 km, initiatives like these are helping to bring the two countries closer together. We still have so much to share," Ambassador Uladzimir Uladzimiravich confidently stated.

One of the notable results reflecting the new quality of bilateral relations is the opening of the direct charter flight route between Minsk and Phu Quoc last October and the Minsk-Nha Trang route this March.

Along with the visa exemption policy effective from January 30, 2025, these steps have created more favorable conditions for business activities, people-to-people exchanges, and two-way tourism, deepening relations between the two countries.

Photographs of high-level visits between the two countries are displayed at the Belarusian Embassy in Hanoi.

The relationship has entered a new phase of development.

According to the Ambassador, the Strategic Partnership framework has created new momentum for the two countries over the past year.

Belarus has sent several high-level delegations to visit Vietnam, including Speaker of the Parliamentary Assembly Igor Sergeyenko, State Secretary of the Security Council Aleksandr Volfovich, and Minister of Internal Affairs Ivan Kubrakov.

These visits coincided with Vietnam's celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification, and the upcoming 80th National Day, thus demonstrating the special political significance and the importance Belarus places on Vietnam.

On the party channel, the Communist Party of Belarus and the Belaya Rus Party are strengthening contact with the Communist Party of Vietnam on the basis of similarities in history and ideology.

In the context of people-to-people exchanges, the visit to Vietnam by the Belarusian Women's Union delegation, led by President Olga Shpilevskaya, last November laid the foundation for promoting "women's diplomacy".

Cultural cooperation has also seen many new milestones. In August 2025, the first collection of Vietnamese poems by Belarusian poet Yanka Kupala was published. This was followed by performances by the Belarusian National Opera and Ballet Theatre at the Ho Guom Theatre in May of this year. Next June, the Ho Guom Theatre art troupe is scheduled to perform in Minsk.

The two sides are also preparing more joint projects in the fields of film, literature, museums, and libraries.

A new milestone in bilateral relations is the opening of direct flights, boosting trade, tourism, and strengthening people-to-people connections between the two countries. Photo: Kieu Thoan Thu

"The potential for cooperation is limitless," Ambassador Uladzimir Uladzimiravich remarked.

Vietnam in Belarus's Eastward Policy

Assessing Vietnam's position, the Ambassador quoted President Aleksandr Lukashenko's statement when he received Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Van Trung in Minsk on September 11, 2025: "Belarus considers Vietnam one of its key partners in Asia and a driving force for global economic growth."

Vietnam also serves as an important gateway for Belarus to access the Southeast Asian region.

The unique strengths of various regions in Belarus are expected to expand the scope for substantive cooperation between localities of the two countries. Photo: Kieu Thoan Thu

Within a broader framework, the Free Trade Agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and Vietnam continues to promote trade and diversify exports.

Vietnam was the first country to sign an FTA with the EAEU in 2015. After more than a decade of implementation, trade turnover between the two sides has nearly doubled, from US$4.3 billion in 2016 to US$8.3 billion in 2025.

According to the Ambassador, recent high-level contacts, especially the "historic visit" of General Secretary To Lam to Minsk in May 2025 and the upgrading of relations to a Strategic Partnership, have laid the foundation for the effective implementation of commitments within the framework of the FTA.

In 2025, Belarus assumed the EAEU chairmanship for the third time and actively contributed to the implementation of the agreement with Vietnam.

Belarus also supports strengthening connectivity between the EAEU, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS/CIS), the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the BRICS (Breakthrough Economic Cooperation Union), and ASEAN, with Vietnam considered an active partner in this development process.

Although the two countries have achieved many results in the fields of trade and economics, and moreover, according to Ambassador Uladzimir Uladzimiravich, "substantive cooperation is first and foremost about building new bridges of friendship."

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/viet-nam-belarus-hien-thuc-hoa-doi-tac-chien-luoc-976249.html