President Truong Tan Sang receives Chairman of the State Security Committee of Belarus, Valery Vakulchik, in Ha Noi yesterday. — VNA/VNS Photo Nguyen Khang.President Truong Tan Sang received the Belarusian Chairman of the State Security Committee Valery Vakulchik at the Presidential Palace yesterday, who said he was delighted at the development of the traditional ties between Belarus and Viet Nam.
The Belarusian Chairman of the State Security Committee conveyed greetings from Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to President Sang.
On this occasion, President Sang thanked Belarus for the financial, technological and educational assistance it provided to the people of Viet Nam during its national struggle for liberation. He asked Vakulchik to extend his invitation to Belarusian President Lukashenko to visit Viet Nam.
President Sang noted that in addition to continuing politics and security co-operation, Viet Nam and Belarus needed to maintain their traditional educational co-operation and expand ties in trade, the economy and telecommunications. He said Viet Nam had a great advantage in producing consumer goods, while Belarus was strong in the fields of heavy industry and energy. The two countries could complement each other, the Vietnamese State President suggested.
He also expressed hope that the negotiation process on the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Viet Nam and the Customs Union of Russia-Kazakhstan-Belarus would conclude in the near future.
Regarding Vietnamese-Belarusian relations, President Sang affirmed that Viet Nam continuously attached importance to enhancing its traditional ties with Belarus, valuing the sentiments of friendship that Belarusian leaders and the people of Belarus extended to Viet Nam. He proposed the two countries continue to maintain high-level delegation visits and expand their co-operation.
The nations also agreed to boost security co-operation, Vakulchik and Vietnamese Public Security Minister Tran Dai Quang said during a meeting in Ha Noi yesterday.
They agreed to increase high-level delegation exchange visits to share experiences in fighting transnational organised crime such as terrorism, cybercrime, and illegal migration. They also highlighted measures taken to ensure the safety of their respective representative organisations and individuals and protect the legitimate rights of Vietnamese and Belarusian citizens living in the two countries.
Global and regional issues of common concern were also discussed during the talks.
Public security minister Quang highlighted the importance of the Belarusian security delegation's visit to Viet Nam, saying it marked a turning point in bilateral security ties and would intensify the traditional relationship between the two countries.
For his part, Vakulchik thanked Viet Nam for welcoming him so warmly, expressed delight at the development of bilateral security co-operation in the past years and hoped that it would develop further./.