Belarus seeks cooperation with Vietnam in manufacturing automobiles

Belarus wants to collaborate with Vietnam in manufacturing automobiles for export, President Aleksander Lukashenko said to his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh at a Thursday meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit.

At the meeting in Kazan, Russia, Lukashenko also noted that Belarus is looking to further cooperate with Vietnam in investment, education, tourism, and people-to-people activities. He also highlighted Vietnam’s achievements in socioeconomic growth and the country's increasing status and reputation.

For his part, PM Chinh said Vietnam seeks further cooperation with Belarus, a trusted partner and friend, in all sectors as the two economies can complement each other.

In January 2016, Vietnam, Russia, and Belarus signed protocol agreements on automobile manufacturing. Automobile firms from Russia (such as Kamaz, Gaz, and Uaz) and Belarus (such as Maz) will join Vietnamese partners in setting up joint ventures to manufacture vehicles of those brands, with a focus on a high localization rate in Vietnam.

In September 2019, Vietnam-Belarus joint venture Maz-Asia launched its factory in Vietnam’s northern province of Hung Yen, with an annual capacity of 1,500 trucks and tractors a year, in addition to importing vehicles.

In December 2020, Vietnam and Belarus signed an amendment to the protocol, focusing on the localization rate.