Ambassador of Belarus to Việt Nam Vladimir Goshin writes to Việt Nam News to mark the National Day of Belarus

On July 3, the Belarusian people celebrate the Independence Day of the Republic of Belarus.

We commemorate this holiday together with another very important occasion – the day of the liberation of the country from the fascist German occupation in 1944. This is a sacred date in the history of Belarus and in the memory of the Belarusians.

The adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1990 was a turning point in the development of the Republic of Belarus – the country entered the world stage not only as a new sovereign state which appeared as a result of the disintegration of the Soviet Union but also as a European country with rich historic traditions of statehood.

Victory Square in Minsk City. Photo courtesy of the embassy

Over the years of independence, Belarus has established itself as a nation with effectively functioning institutions of power.

We did not choose the path of oligarch manner privatisation of state property, we took the road of step-by-step economic and political transformation, aimed at creating peace, security and tolerance. Belarus has not only maintained but also increased its human and economic potential, turned itself into a modern industrial and agricultural country with advanced scientific, educational and healthcare systems.

The United Nations has included Belarus in the group of countries with high human development.

Belarus is among the world-leading exporters of trucks, tractors, heavy-duty dump trucks and road-building machines. Belarus not only supplies itself with food but also exports large volumes of food to world markets.

Belarus is seventh in the world’s rate of dairy product exports and is among the 20 leaders in exports of sugar and beef, Belarus occupies a third of the world dump truck market and every sixth tonne of potash fertiliser in the world is produced in Belarus.

Today, Belarus is a sovereign European state pursuing an independent and peaceful foreign policy, developing cooperation with foreign partners and making a significant contribution to strengthening regional security and stability.

Friendly relations between Belarus and Việt Nam, formed during the Soviet era, are based on mutual understanding, principles of respect and mutual aid. Similar approaches to issues on the international agenda unite us. These relations of trust have never been interrupted and as a result of comprehensive and progressive development have reached a new level. Constructive cooperation with Việt Nam has always been one of the priorities of the foreign policy of Belarus. Belarus has confirmed its status as a reliable friend and ally of Việt Nam in the international arena.

It should be noted that good political relations require a solid economic foundation.

Over the past 10 years, the trade turnover between Belarus and Việt Nam has tripled. At the same time, Belarus intends is to shift from simple trade to joint production which meets the interests of both countries. Joint production of MAZ trucks has been established and the manufacture of dairy products from Belarusian raw materials in Việt Nam is being worked on.

Belarus welcomes the successes of Việt Nam in economic development and fully supports the efforts of the Vietnamese authorities aimed at combating COVID-19.

Despite the pandemic, the countries with the assistance of diplomatic missions have tried to develop bilateral cooperation in the humanitarian sphere and maintained valuable contacts.

We are very proud that many Vietnamese officials graduated from Belarusian universities.

Our countries look confidently to the future and I believe that together we will manage to surpass all challenges and our close friendship will continue to flourish.

Belarus is happy today to share the feelings of the Belarusian people on the occasion of the National Day with friendly Việt Nam in hope of new achievements for the benefit of the peoples of the two countries. VNS