Following the conclusion of a successful official visit to Russia, General Secretary To Lam and his spouse, Ngo Phuong Ly, arrived at Minsk Airport in Belarus on the afternoon of May 11 local time, for a state visit to the country.

The visit, taking place from May 11 to 12, was made at the invitation of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

Welcoming General Secretary To Lam, his spouse, and the Vietnamese delegation at the airport were Deputy Prime Minister Anatoly Sivak, Minister of Foreign Affairs Maxim Ryzhenkov, Belarusian Ambassador to Vietnam Uladzimir Baravikou, Vietnamese Ambassador to Belarus Nguyen Van Ngu, as well as embassy staff and members of the Vietnamese community in Belarus.

The Minsk Airport was adorned with the national flags of both countries. Upon disembarking from the plane, General Secretary To Lam and his spouse were presented with a bouquet of fresh flowers by a Belarusian young woman.

In accordance with Belarusian tradition, two young women dressed in traditional attire respectfully offered bread and salt to General Secretary To Lam and his spouse.

Immediately after arriving, the General Secretary, his spouse, and the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation visited the Victory Monument to lay flowers. They also attended a tribute event and presented gifts to Belarusian veterans and experts who had made notable contributions to Vietnam.

Vietnam and Belarus share longstanding ties rooted in the Soviet era, with significant developments following President Ho Chi Minh’s visits to Belarus in 1957 and 1961.

Since the establishment of diplomatic relations on January 24, 1992, the two nations have continuously maintained and strengthened their traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation, with increasing political trust.

The two sides collaborate in various sectors including national defense and security, trade and economics, culture, education, science and technology, people-to-people exchanges, and local-level partnerships. A legal framework comprising around 50 international treaties and inter-agency agreements supports this cooperation.

Nine provinces in Vietnam have established friendship and cooperative relations with six of Belarus’s seven provincial administrative units.

A milestone in bilateral cooperation was the signing and enforcement of a visa exemption agreement for holders of ordinary passports from both countries, effective January 30. Belarus is among the few European nations offering visa-free entry to Vietnamese citizens.

The visit by General Secretary To Lam is expected to create new momentum for strengthening and expanding bilateral relations. It aims to deepen the already strong partnership, enhance the effectiveness of existing mechanisms, and develop new avenues for cooperation.

Tran Thuong