Minsk (VNA) – National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen ThiKim Ngan on December 12 met with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko,during which they discussed the partnership between Vietnam and Belarus acrossspheres.

The host leader said Ngan’s ongoing visit will create a greatmomentum for the long-standing relations between the two countries.

He highlighted the fruitful bilateral cooperation in politics,economy, national defence and security, and education, with exchanges of visitsand meetings by leaders, including those of legislative bodies.

Lauding the achievements Vietnam has recorded over the past time,the President said Vietnam boasts a big population and is developing on theplatform of high-tech, which he described as sustainable factors of an economy.

He added that Vietnam and Belarus share viewpoints in many areasand they have supported each other at international forums.

Ngan, who is on her first official visit to Belarus in hercapacity as Vietnamese NA Chairperson, said Vietnam highly appreciates Belarus’socio-economic achievements under the leadership of President Lukashenko andthe Belarusian Government, as well as its foreign policy of diversifying and multilateralisingrelations, and expanding relations with other countries, especially traditionalfriends, including Vietnam.

She thanked the Belarusian people for their great and valuablesupport to Vietnam during the past struggle for national liberation andreunification, and the present cause of national construction and development.

Such warm sentiments and assistance have created a firm foundationfor the continuous development of traditional friendship and multi-facetedcooperation between the two countries, the Vietnamese top legislator affirmed.

She went on to say that Vietnam highly values the closecoordination between the two countries at international organisations andforums, particularly the United Nations and multilateral parliamentary forumssuch as the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the Meeting of Speakers ofEurasian Countries’ Parliaments (MSEAP).

She also thanked Belarus for backing Vietnam’s candidacy for a non-permanentseat on the UN Security Council for 2020-2021 and a seat at the UN Commissionon International Trade for 2019-2025.

The leader suggested the two countries carry forward thecoordination at multilateral mechanisms as well as the Non-Aligned Movement.

Host and guest shared the views that two-way trade still remainmodest, standing at only 92.2 million USD last year and 41.1 million USD in thefirst half of this year.

They urged promoting the economic and trade collaboration to matchthe bilateral political ties, aiming to raise two-way trade revenue to 500 millionUSD as targeted by leaders of both sides.

Ngan also urged the two countries to tap advantages generated bythe Vietnam-Eurasian Economic Union Free Trade Agreement, and furtherpopularise its incentives among businesses in order to expand the structure of imports.She added that Vietnam welcomed the inauguration of the first Vietnam-Belarusauto manufacturing joint venture Maz Asia in the northern province of Hung Yenlast September.

The top legislator expressed her hope that the two countries will continueto maintain the trustful and regular collaboration in national defence andsecurity, culture, science-technology and tourism.

Regarding the East Sea issue, Ngan said Vietnam welcomes effortsof all countries to contribute to preserving peace, stability, security andfreedom of navigation and overflight in the region, for regional cooperationand development.

She called on Belarus to support the stance and principles ofVietnam and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on addressingdisputes by peaceful measures without using or threatening to use force, on thebasis of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on theLaw of the Sea (1982 UNCLOS), fully and effectively implementing theDeclaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and soon reaching apragmatic Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).

In this regard, Lukashenko affirmed that Belarus always supportsthe settlement of all disputes by peaceful measures and on the basis ofinternational law.

Both sides spoke highly of the friendship and cooperation betweenthe two legislative bodies, with regular exchanges of delegations at alllevels, consultations and close coordination at multilateral forums.

Ngan took the occasion to thank the Belarusian President forfacilitating the settlement and social integration of the Vietnamese communityin the country./.