Vietnam, Belarus agree to exempt visa for ordinary passport holders

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his Belarusian counterpart Roman Golovchenko witness the signing of visa exemption agreement between the two countries on Dec. 8, 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his Belarusian counterpart Roman Golovchenko voiced their hope that the agreement on bilateral visa exemption for ordinary passport holders, signed during the visit, and the cultural cooperation program for 2023 – 2025, inked in May this year, will help tighten connections in terms of tourism, culture, and people-to-people exchange.

Welcoming his guest, PM Chinh said the official visit from December 6 to 9, the first trip to Vietnam by a Belarusian Government leader in 12 years, will create a new impetus for bilateral relations in all spheres.

He affirmed that the Government and people of Vietnam attach major importance to the two countries’ traditional friendship, which has been nurtured by many generations, especially the visits to the Eastern European country by President Ho Chi Minh in the past.

Highly valuing Vietnam’s socio-economic achievements, PM Golovchenko said his country treasures the traditional friendship and views Vietnam as a priority partner in Southeast Asia.

The two leaders shared the view on the importance of maintaining meetings at all levels, via all channels, and between their countries’ ministries, sectors, and localities, and on the need to bring into play existing cooperation mechanisms. They agreed to continue close coordination and mutual support at multilateral forums, especially the United Nations.

Vietnam is ready to serve as a bridge helping Belarus enhance cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the host said, calling on Belarus to support Vietnam and ASEAN’s stance on the East Sea issue.

Both sides spoke highly of the progress in economic, trade, and investment partnerships, including the implementation of the free trade agreement between Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), of which Belarus is a member. They held that the two countries should further tap into their cooperation potential.

PM Chinh lauded the outcomes of the Vietnam – Belarus business forum held in Ho Chi Minh City on December 7 that gathered over 100 companies from both countries.

He expressed his delight that the $15 million MAZ automobile manufacturing and assembly plant project of Belarus in northern Hung Yen province is operating fruitfully. He also applauded the consideration of production joint ventures in both Vietnam and Belarus in the sectors matching their potential and demand.

The two countries will make efforts to promote bilateral trade and create conditions for their goods, including agricultural and aquatic products, dairy products, fertilizer, and machinery, to access each other’s markets, the leaders said.

They also agreed to expand cooperation to such potential areas as information technology, digital transformation, education – training, scientific research, culture, tourism, and people-to-people exchange. They highly valued the signing of a cooperation deal between Hanoi and Minsk during the visit, along with the signing of an inter-governmental agreement on educational cooperation last June, which will help increase the exchange of students, lecturers, and experts in the fields the countries have demand for.

PM Chinh took this occasion to thank leaders and the Government of Belarus for paying attention to the Vietnamese community in the country, asking the Belarusian Government to continue providing favourable conditions for Vietnamese people to live, work, and study there.

Following the talks, the two leaders witnessed the signing of some bilateral cooperation documents, namely an agreement on the transfer of sentenced persons, an agreement on visa exemption for ordinary passport holders, a memorandum of understanding on cooperation and information sharing in the field of nuclear safety and radiation protection, and a cooperation deal on the official dissemination of Vietnam’s national standards in Belarus.