On October 28, at the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam in Hanoi, Politburo member and Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung held talks with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, Maxim Ryzhenkov, as part of the official visit of the Belarusian delegation. The meeting was the highlight of the first visit by a Belarusian Foreign Minister to Vietnam in 12 years and took place in an atmosphere described by both sides as "friendly, sincere, and frank." The negotiations covered not only current bilateral issues but also the strategic agenda for preparing for two major anniversaries in 2027: the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries (1992–2027) and the 70th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's historic visit to Belarus (1957–2027).
Strategic Partnership as the Basis for a New Phase of Relations
Opening the meeting, Le Hoai Trung emphasized that Vietnam "has always highly valued the traditional friendship and strategic partnership with Belarus" and cherishes the support the Belarusian people provided to the Vietnamese during their struggle for national independence and postwar reconstruction. The Minister specifically noted the positive progress in relations following the state visit of CPV General Secretary To Lam to Belarus in May 2025, which resulted in the establishment of a strategic partnership between the two states. Maxim Ryzhenkov, for his part, expressed satisfaction that his visit was the first official trip to Vietnam in his career as Foreign Minister and thanked the Vietnamese side for a "warm, sincere, and friendly welcome." He also expressed admiration for Vietnam's socioeconomic achievements and the country's growing role in the region and on the international stage, confirming that Belarus views Hanoi as one of its key partners in Southeast Asia.
Diplomatic Coordination and Exchange of Delegations
During an in-depth exchange of views, the ministers agreed to continue strengthening political trust, maintaining regular contacts at all levels — from party to government — and coordinating the implementation of agreements reached by the leaders of both countries. Special attention was paid to the role of the foreign ministries as coordinating bodies in the development of bilateral relations: the parties agreed to maintain the effectiveness of the political consultation mechanism and regularly monitor the progress of previously reached agreements. The need to expand parliamentary cooperation, interregional ties, business contacts, and humanitarian exchanges was also discussed. According to the press service, during the same visit, Maxim Ryzhenkov conveyed greetings to Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Khai from President Alexander Lukashenko and an invitation from Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko to visit Belarus, noting that the Vietnamese Prime Minister's visit in 2027 would "organically crown the anniversary events."
Economy: From Potential to Concrete Mechanisms
Discussing the economic agenda, both ministers acknowledged that the current results of trade and economic cooperation "do not correspond to the potential, strengths, and good political relations" between the two countries. Le Hoai Trung proposed more effectively utilizing the Free Trade Agreement between Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union, facilitating the establishment of direct links between enterprises, and strengthening activities to attract trade and investment. Maxim Ryzhenkov, in turn, proposed an initiative to create a trade and investment promotion center in each country, which would help businesses from both sides establish contacts, explore markets, and strengthen their mutual presence. The parties also agreed on the need to diversify the commodity mix and develop cooperation in the defense and education sectors, as well as the importance of signing the cooperation roadmap for 2027–2029 as soon as possible.
Preparing for the 2027 Anniversaries
A significant part of the negotiations was devoted to the practical preparations for the two anniversary events in 2027. The ministers agreed to closely coordinate actions in organizing events dedicated to the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations and the 70th anniversary of Ho Chi Minh's visit to Minsk, as well as upcoming high-level contacts. According to the Belarusian side, the Vietnamese Prime Minister's visit to Belarus in 2027 will be the logical conclusion of the anniversary program and a confirmation of the stability of the two states' strategic course. Thus, the October meeting in Hanoi set the framework agenda for the entire next diplomatic cycle and confirmed that Vietnam-Belarus relations are experiencing a period of active institutional construction.
