(VOVworld) – Belarus always desires to strengthen co-operation with Vietnam, said Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko at a meeting in Minsk on Monday with outgoing Vietnamese Ambassador Do Van Mai.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko (L) talks with outgoing Vietnamese Ambassador Do Van Mai in Minsk, August 17, 2015 (Photo: The Belarusian President’s Office)

Mr Lukashenko said that he believed Vietnam would become one of the fully-developed countries in the world over the next decade, adding that Belarus was keen on contributing to Vietnam’s development and was ready to do its utmost to ensure Vietnam’s interests.
He hailed the free trade agreement between Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union, saying that the agreement would help foster trade ties between the two countries.
The two sides discussed preparations for Mr Lukashenko’s visit to Vietnam by the end of the year. Expanding co-operation with Vietnam is one of Belarus’s priorities in Asia.