MINSK, 29 July (BelTA) - Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Belarus to Vietnam Vladimir Borovikov commented on the prospects for cooperation between Minsk and Hanoi in an interview with the Belarus 1 TV channel, BelTA has learned.
The joint venture MAZ-Asia in Vietnam caters to the markets of Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar. "Following the COVID restrictions and a complete lockdown in Vietnam, which lasted more than a year, the company is now restoring its operations. As our logistics schemes will transform a bit (we have already mapped out our steps), the enterprise will soon reach the capacity to be able to supply products to other markets," Ambassador Vladimir Borovikov noted.
As for special-purpose machines, this company already has experience of making fire-fighting vehicles. The company plans to continue the project on the basis of the MAZ chassis systems. The manufacture of workwear is already up and running. The contract has been signed.
Cooperation in dairy industry hold great promise. In 2020, Belarus certified its dairy products on the Vietnamese market and stepped up deliveries. "Then we had the idea to set up a joint venture. The project got a green light from the local authorities. A site has been selected. We hope we will break ground on the plant this year," Ambassador Vladimir Borovikov said.
Joint venture projects merit closer attention from the two countries, he believes. These can be, for example, the joint ventures to manuafcture Belarusian elevators and tires. A joint venture is good, but others form of cooperation are possible too. This will reduce the burden on logistics.
When asked about the possible launch of a charter flight from Minsk to Vietnam, the ambassador noted close work is currently in progress. "We will try to provide an opportunity for our citizens to fly directly from Minsk to Hanoi this year," he said.
Ambassador Vladimir Borovikov also noted that Vietnam did not support the sanctions against Belarus. "It sincerely supports us on the issues of mutual interest. We are grateful to the Vietnamese side for this and assume that Vietnam will be a strategic partner for us in Southeast Asia," the Ambassador said.
