New Asian Tiger and Breadbasket of Africa. What Prospects for Belarus Lukashenko Sees in Vietnam and Zimbabwe

Emmerson Mnangagwa and ALEXANDER LUKASHENKO Emmerson Mnangagwa and Alexander Lukashenko Emmerson Mnangagwa and Alexander Lukashenko

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In mid-May, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam To Lam and President of Zimbabwe Emmerson Mnangagwa visited Belarus almost simultaneously. Vietnam has been called the Asian economic tiger of the new generation for several years now, and Zimbabwe has long been known as the Breadbasket of Africa. Despite the fact that the economy of this country is not in the best position yet, its lands are some of the most fertile on the entire continent, and the subsoil is rich in gold, diamonds, platinum and other resources. What unites these two visits and what prospects does cooperation with distant partners open up for Belarus, why Vietnam decided to raise the level of our relations to a strategic partnership, and why Zimbabwe is ready to become a hub for Belarusian products on the African continent, we figure out in the material of BELTA.

Why To Lam decided to visit Belarus
Let's start with Vietnam. To Lam's official visit to Belarus, as Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov said, took place at the initiative of the Vietnamese leader. "We consider this a big, friendly and sincere step on his part towards our leader, people and country," the HEAD of the Foreign Ministry said.

Together with To Lam, an impressive delegation arrived in MINSK , including the entire political leadership of the party. This was a serious signal that the Vietnamese side wanted not only to visit Belarus, but also to work out all areas of cooperation for the future.
The Vietnamese leader held meetings with the leadership of the Belarusian government and parliament, representatives of the Belarus-Vietnam Friendship Society, and also visited the Minsk Tractor Plant. In parallel, about a dozen meetings were held in the Belarusian capital at the interdepartmental level. But the central event of the visit was the talks at the highest level.

What Belarus and Vietnam have in common
In accordance with protocol practice, the talks between the two leaders were held in a narrow and expanded format. At them, the parties discussed the development of strategic cooperation between Belarus and Vietnam in key areas in the economy, politics and the humanitarian sphere.
"I am glad to welcome you to Belarus. We consider you our friend. And not only because this is not your first time in Belarus. This is your fourth visit. First of all, I would like to congratulate you on your new job (referring to your election as Secretary General last year. - BELTA note), which is very responsible by Vietnamese standards," Alexander Lukashenko greeted the Vietnamese guest.

"I want to assure you that our relations will only improve and the agreements that we will approve with Vietnam will be strictly implemented. We are committed to you, there is such an agreement, it has been agreed upon - on a strategic partnership between Belarus and Vietnam," the Belarusian leader said. During the previous meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Kazan, the parties agreed to prepare a roadmap for the development of bilateral cooperation in the near future. It will be finalized taking into account the negotiations held in Minsk and signed during the next summit.

"We, naturally, have issues on the agenda that need to be resolved promptly. I think we will discuss these issues with you. And if we reach a joint decision, we will implement them in the near future. Whether it is mutual payments between the two states, whether it is air traffic and everything related to it. These are the issues without which the economy cannot function," the President said.
Belarus, in particular, is interested in increasing the volume of mutual supplies and launching new joint production.

To Lam, in turn, noted that Belarusian-Vietnamese relations have been developing for 33 years. "We are close friends, developing relations, domestic markets," he emphasized. "And during the visit, based on our traditionally friendly relations, we would like to discuss a number of issues that will help develop bilateral relations and raise their level to a strategic partnership."
It is worth noting that relations between our countries really have their roots in the Soviet era. In 1957 and 1961, Belarus was visited by Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh. And during the Vietnam War, Belarusian representatives, along with Soviet specialists, helped the country in the fight for its independence, and later in its restoration.

"Vietnam always remembers and remains grateful for the valuable support that the Belarusian people provided to the Vietnamese people in the struggle for independence and reunification, in the matter of national construction and development," To Lam said.

What Lukashenko and To Lam agreed on The main task for Belarus and Vietnam now is to intensify economic cooperation, Alexander Lukashenko emphasized at the expanded negotiations. According to him, this concerns the resumption of regular supplies of Belarusian agricultural, cargo and quarry equipment to Vietnam. The President is also confident in the prospects of joint production of Belarusian tractors and automobile equipment. Education, culture, sports and tourism
are also among the priority areas .

"There have been no closed topics in relations between our countries for a long time. And we are ready to do for Vietnam everything that you need, everything that you like during your visit, future visits of high officials, representatives of the people of your country," the head of state assured.

Summing up the negotiations, Alexander Lukashenko said that the most serious attention was paid to industry, primarily mechanical engineering. And the opinions of Belarus and Vietnam here completely coincide: it is necessary to resume regular deliveries of Belarusian quarry equipment, trucks and, of course, the legendary BELARUS tractors to Vietnamese consumers. The countries agreed to speed up the implementation of the project to create a joint production of tractor equipment, including for deliveries to other countries in the region. For example, to Indonesia.

"One of the next projects for organizing joint production is the manufacture of tractors in Vietnam. We are starting the project with a capacity of 50 horsepower. And in the future, the project can potentially be expanded to any models and modifications available in the line of our tractor plant," said Industry Minister Alexander Efimov.

The tractor will work in rice fields in wet and dry conditions. The localization of the product will be at least 45%.

Traditionally, cooperation in agriculture and food supplies was among the main issues on the negotiating agenda. A decision was also made to intensify cooperation in the scientific and technical sphere and hold the next meeting of the joint commission on scientific and technical cooperation in 2025.

"The issue of ensuring technological security and sovereignty is strategically important for all states without exception, and long breaks in the work of this commission, given the rapidly increasing pace of development of science and technology, are unacceptable today," the Belarusian leader emphasized.

Following the high-level talks, a ceremony of signing and exchanging texts of international documents was held at the Palace of Independence. Alexander Lukashenko and To Lam signed a joint statement on the establishment of a strategic partnership between the two countries.

What is stated in the joint statement of Lukashenko and To Lam
The signed joint statement outlines the most important priorities of bilateral cooperation in the near and medium term, which will serve as a guide for both parties in forming joint plans and programs.

Alexander Lukashenko called the adoption of this statement a new milestone in relations between the two countries. "The decision is quite logical, natural and long overdue for us. Vietnam is one of Belarus' key partners in Southeast Asia, and our cooperation is based on sincere friendship, mutual respect and support . Strictly adhering to these principles, we confidently continue to move forward, aiming at high-quality and long-term cooperation," the President said.
The document notes that the established strategic partnership will take Belarusian-Vietnamese relations to new heights in bilateral and multilateral terms, strengthen and increase the effectiveness of existing cooperation mechanisms, and accelerate the creation of new interaction mechanisms.
Belarus and Vietnam agreed to strengthen contacts and exchange delegations more often at all levels, study and create new forms of interaction between ministries, departments and regions of the two countries.

In a joint statement, Alexander Lukashenko and To Lam expressed their readiness to strengthen cooperation in the field of defense and security, including the defense industry, training of military personnel and specialists.

Economic cooperation is defined as one of the important pillars of the bilateral partnership. The parties declared their intention to work to ensure that "economic cooperation becomes substantial, effective and comprehensive in areas of mutual interest, such as industry, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, energy, science, information and communication technologies, and expands to other potential areas, such as logistics, digital economy, digital transformation and others."

"In order to create favorable conditions for strengthening economic ties, as well as to ensure sustainable growth of Vietnamese-Belarusian trade turnover, the parties expressed their intention to intensively develop the infrastructure of bilateral trade, including logistics, transportation and transit of goods, interbank cooperation, simplification of access to the domestic market of the other party and the elimination of barriers to the goods of each party. The parties also agreed to effectively resolve the difficulties and problematic issues arising in the course of this work through constructive dialogue," the document says.

Belarus and Vietnam will also intensify cooperation in the fields of science, research and innovation, digital economy, digitalization, information security, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.

What does the establishment of a new level of relations between Belarus and Vietnam mean?
In the foreign policy doctrine of Vietnam, strategic partnership means a special, advanced level of relations. Above that is the comprehensive strategic partnership, which Vietnam has concluded with only 12 countries so far: CHINA , RUSSIA , the Republic of Korea , India, the United States , Japan , Australia , France , Malaysia, New Zealand , Indonesia and Singapore.

"We, in the opinion of the Vietnamese side, are among the 20 countries with which partnership is of a strategic nature. This gives us additional opportunities for developing cooperation with Vietnam in all sectors. This is the biggest signal to all organizations, companies, ministries of Vietnam that Belarus is a strategic partner of Vietnam, that it is not only possible, but also necessary to develop relations with us and to treat us as a strategic partner when developing these relations," said Maxim Ryzhenkov.

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Belarus to Vietnam Vladimir Borovikov noted that the palette of cooperation between the two countries is wide and multifaceted - from defense and security to culture, education, sports and tourism. According to him, it is difficult to name an area in which our countries have not established mutually beneficial contacts.

"The Belarus tractor and the Minsk motorcycle have become legendary. The MAZ and BELAZ trucks are well known. Many Vietnamese have come to like Belarusian chocolate and MILK . I hope that very soon the people of Vietnam will appreciate the high quality and taste of Belarusian MEAT products. In turn, the volumes of supplies of Vietnamese rice, nuts,coffee , fruits and fish products. Recently, Vietnamese microchips and electronic equipment under the brand "Made in Vietnam" have become widely known, the diplomat said in an interview with BELTA.
Vietnam is showing great interest in Belarusian know-how in high technology, digitalization, industry, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, food production and much more. Belarus is ready for close cooperation in exchanging the latest technologies in order to strengthen Vietnam's technological security.

The ambassador named the development and implementation of ICT, digitalization of all spheres of life, artificial intelligence , energy, and space exploration as promising areas of cooperation.

Why Lukashenko awarded To Lam the Order of Friendship of Peoples
The special nature of the Vietnamese leader's visit to Belarus was emphasized by another solemn ceremony. Alexander Lukashenko awarded the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam with the Order of Friendship of Peoples. To Lam was awarded this prize for his significant contribution to the development and strengthening of friendly relations and strategic partnership between Belarus and Vietnam.

"This is an award for the enormous contribution made by the current Secretary General to strengthening our cooperation," said the President of Belarus .
He once again reminded that the current visit of the Vietnamese leader to Belarus is already the fourth. "Thanks to him, we have saved our relations - between Belarus and Vietnam - and are bringing them to the highest level. I am sure that with this person we will do a lot to ensure that no one can destroy the foundation of our relations, or even touch it. The current visit of the General Secretary of the Central Committee is historic in terms of strengthening our relations," the head of state emphasized.

Why Belarus began to develop cooperation with Zimbabwe
Cooperation with Zimbabwe is also part of the strategy for developing relations with distant arc countries. Today, many countries are paying attention to the African continent. Especially those who are seriously thinking about the prospects. Belarus is among them.
According to forecasts, the world's population will reach 9 billion people by 2050. At the same time, Africa will become the only continent with enough land to feed the planet through traditional agriculture. Therefore, the restoration and launch of agriculture in African countries such as Zimbabwe is important to meet the demand for food . In addition, Africa is home to almost half of the planet's natural resources.
"The world is changing. It will be different. And there will never be a return to what was. The peoples of the world realize. Most of them have realized that the future belongs to Africa. Africa's time has come," Alexander Lukashenko said a year and a half ago.

In the last century, African states gained political freedom, but, according to the head of state, the hardest work - gaining economic independence - is yet to come. And Belarus, as a technological country, is ready to share its experience and developments with partners to support them on this path. Moreover, relations with many African states are not built out of thin air - our cooperation began in the Soviet era.
Zimbabwe is one of Belarus' footholds in this region, and the country is successfully gaining a foothold in this market. Remember how Belarusians joined the agricultural mechanization program in Zimbabwe? Belarus supplied more than 2 thousand units of equipment, trailers and attachments there. Several service centers were opened, and training for local personnel was organized. And what do we see? Over the past few years, grain harvesting in Zimbabwe has increased almost three and a half times: from 150 thousand tons in 2020 to 550 thousand tons in 2024. For the first time in 50 years, Zimbabwe has been fully self-sufficient in wheat for three years in a row and has even begun to EXPORT it . Now the country needs grain storage facilities to enter foreign markets on time. But once upon a time, they could not even be thought of.

Why the President of Zimbabwe flew to Brest
In April, Emmerson Mnangagwa received a personal letter from the President of Belarus with an official invitation to visit the country in May 2025. The head of Zimbabwe then gratefully accepted the offer, confirming his readiness for the visit and expressing confidence in the success of the upcoming meeting.

The visit of the Zimbabwean leader to Belarus was of a working nature, but was no less rich in content than the official one. Having settled in the Belarusian capital, Emmerson Mnangagwa headed to the southern region of the republic. Here he held talks with the leadership of the government and the Brest Regional Executive Committee, and got acquainted with the capabilities of Belarus in the food industry.

"I was very impressed by the technologies used by the Belarusian side. I am confident that we will be able to adopt certain technologies to apply them in Zimbabwe," said the President of Zimbabwe.

Emmerson Mnangagwa added that his country is interested in close ties with Belarus. "Zimbabwe is a developing country. Of course, we highly appreciate it when developed countries extend a hand of friendship and assistance to us, and we try to cooperate with them as much as possible. In addition, I and the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko are close friends, that is why I am here today. A very beautiful country. Who would not want to visit a place where it is truly so beautiful. I, of course, am no exception," Emmerson Mnangagwa assured.

Chairman of the Brest Regional Executive Committee Petr Parkhomchik, in turn, emphasized that the Brest Region maintains friendly relations not only with neighboring countries, but also with all states that build their foreign policy on the principles of mutual respect and good neighborliness.

According to him, the Brest Region is ready to demonstrate the results of many years of experience in agriculture based on the use of modern production, high-quality raw materials and advanced technologies. The region made its first deliveries to this African country this year.

"Common sense itself suggests increasing cooperation with the countries of the African continent, because the future belongs to them. This is a region that is developing very intensively in all respects: not only in the extraction of minerals, as is commonly believed, but also in terms of the development of agriculture and industry. Of course, it is very important and positive that our country got its bearings in time and took measures to open this region for us. We approach cooperation very honestly," said Valery Vakulchik, Assistant to the President of Belarus - Inspector for the Brest Region.

At the Brest Hero Fortress Memorial Complex, the President of Zimbabwe laid flowers at the Eternal Flame and honored the memory of the defenders and victims of the Great Patriotic War with a minute of silence.

"I am happy to visit this historical place, I read about it in history books. It is a great honor and privilege for me to visit this place in person. It illustrates the history of our past, your historical heritage, and it is in front of us. It is a living proof of the courage of your people," Emmerson Mnangagwa shared his impressions.

What Lukashenko and Emmerson Mnangagwa discussed at the talks in Minsk

The President of Zimbabwe also arrived in Minsk with a large delegation. While the meeting of the two leaders was being prepared, a lot of work was done at their level by governments, relevant ministries, regional authorities and companies.

Alexander Lukashenko met with Emmerson Mnangagwa on May 14. The heads of state discussed the state of bilateral cooperation, the implementation of existing projects and prospects for new ones, including in the trade, economic and investment spheres.
"We highly value friendship with your country and your people. We are united by a common approach to forming a fair world order based on the sovereign equality of all states, multilateralism, respect for the UN Charter and international law," said Alexander Lukashenko. "I would like to emphasize once again that you are always a welcome guest for us in Belarus, and Belovezhskaya Pushcha has already become your home. Come any day, any time with your wife and family. Spend time here in this comfortable climate, perhaps not as hot as it is in your summer."
The Belarusian leader called bilateral cooperation with Zimbabwe a new standard in working with African countries. "Considering this high bar, we have tried to provide you and your delegation with a busy program. I am absolutely confident that the results of the visit will give a powerful impetus to the brotherly and partnership relations between the peoples of Belarus and Zimbabwe," the head of state said. "In recent years, our countries have taken political relations to a new level, significantly expanded trade and economic cooperation, and formed a solid contractual and legal framework for cooperation."

One example is the joint agricultural mechanization program in Zimbabwe, which Alexander Lukashenko called a true example of honest, open and productive cooperation. Thanks to this program, the wheat harvest in Zimbabwe has already more than tripled. Since 2022, Zimbabwe has fully met its domestic needs for wheat, and has begun exporting surpluses to neighboring countries (Mozambique, Botswana).

"We continue to work with a focus on preserving such harvests and further strengthening food security in Zimbabwe and southern Africa as a whole. This is a very important area - work from the territory of Zimbabwe to other countries. And from this example of our joint work, other countries of the African continent see that there is a real alternative to exploitation and the dictates of the West and transnational corporations," the President said.

Belarus is also ready to accept more students from Zimbabwe. More than 60 Zimbabwean students are already studying at Belarusian universities in various specialties in agriculture, medicine, and technical profiles.

The countries have also stepped up industrial cooperation. By 2027, Belarus plans to organize the production of tractor equipment in Zimbabwe and, a little later, trucks and passenger vehicles. Moreover, the advantage of cooperation with Belarus is obvious. Our enterprises do not just supply finished products or machine kits to partners, but also train specialists in equipment maintenance, industrial and technological operations. In other words, we are talking about a high-quality transfer of competencies.

"Of course, we also have issues that prevent us from moving forward at the pace we would like and reaching a sustainable mutual trade turnover approaching $100 million by 2030. We need to find solutions to these issues. They exist. That is why we are holding these negotiations," the head of the Belarusian state emphasized.

Emmerson Mnangagwa, in turn, said that Belarus had become a "home away from home" for the Zimbabwean delegation.
"The hospitality that I have received exceeds all expectations. And my delegation is grateful for such hospitality and such a reception. This is truly a home away from home," the President of Zimbabwe emphasized. "You are an example of leadership. I thank you for the role you play in fruitful discussions and cooperation that lead to the strengthening of our relations and the existing friendship between Zimbabwe and Belarus. Thank you very much, dear brother!"

According to him, the countries have indeed achieved success in bilateral cooperation, but it is necessary to move forward. "We are ready to further consider the mechanization and modernization of our dairy industry with the support of Belarusian partners," Emmerson Mnangagwa said.

What projects will Belarus develop with Zimbabwe After the talks, the parties exchanged a number of significant documents signed during the visit of the President of Zimbabwe to Belarus. These include a roadmap for strategic cooperation and partnership for 2026-2030. 

"Our specialists and ministers worked very effectively before us. We discussed a wide range of issues, reviewed how the agreements already reached are being implemented (including during the visit to Zimbabwe two years ago). We identified new joint projects. At the same time, we paid special attention to the development of promising areas, including interregional interaction and industrial cooperation," said Alexander Lukashenko.
The President is convinced that with such support from the Zimbabwean leadership, the countries will even more actively increase trade turnover, create joint promising production, and open new markets both in Africa and Eurasia.

"We are ready to assist Zimbabwe in creating a comprehensive healthcare system, to supply medical products and special equipment from Belarus to solve the problem of providing medical care to children, women and the entire population of Zimbabwe," said the head of state. "You have studied our healthcare system. You liked it, according to my information. And you are ready to build it in Zimbabwe with our help. We are ready to assist you in this."

It is noteworthy that this year Belarus chairs the Eurasian Economic Union, and Zimbabwe chairs the Southern African Development Community (trade and economic union of southern African countries. - BELTA note). Perhaps, the countries will be able to use their special position to intensify cooperation between these integration blocks and simplify the terms of mutual trade.

During the talks, Belarus and Zimbabwe agreed to create a commission at the level of heads of state. It will become a high-level strategic mechanism that will allow coordinating the work of existing joint commissions and committees, explained Alexander Lukashenko. According to him, the relevant draft agreement will be prepared for his return visit to Zimbabwe.

Emmerson Mnangagwa, in turn, noted that Zimbabwe has a unique position that allows the country to become a kind of hub for Belarus. This will contribute to the expansion of economic cooperation with many African countries.

According to the President, cooperation with Belarus will make a great contribution to the development of industry and the economy of Zimbabwe as a whole. At the same time, the Zimbabwean side is ready to consider new opportunities for expanding cooperation, in particular in the field of waste processing and management, water purification.

"We see great benefits, including in the field of mineral resource extraction. Together we can develop a serious basis for investment that will ensure productivity growth in this sector and allow our economies to prosper," said Emmerson Mnangagwa. Why Lukashenko saw off the President of Zimbabwe at the airport The visit of the President of Zimbabwe to Belarus also ended on a special note. Alexander Lukashenko saw off his colleague and friend at the airport, where the heads of state summed up the results of the negotiations.

The head of the Belarusian state emphasized that it was thanks to the personal contribution of Emmerson Mnangagwa that Belarus and Zimbabwe had achieved the current high level of relations.
"We are very happy to be here. And we are very happy with the dynamics of relations that are developing between Zimbabwe and Belarus," the President of Zimbabwe responded.
During the friendly conversation, the presidents did not ignore the weather - this May in Belarus turned out to be quite cool. "You will have to reacclimatize back home. But you also have winter there," the Belarusian leader noted.

Emmerson Mnangagwa confirmed that it is indeed winter in Zimbabwe now, and at times, by local standards, it is quite cool. "But the Belarusian weather is very comfortable for us," he assured.

"This means that you need to visit Belarus more often," Alexander Lukashenko summarized.

The leaders of the countries said a warm goodbye. Emmerson Mnangagwa thanked for the excellent organization of the visit and invited Alexander Lukashenko to make a return visit to Zimbabwe in the near future. "Thank you very much! I will take the best memories with me," the President of Zimbabwe said at parting.

BELTA.