Belarusian President wraps up Vietnam visit Belarusian President Alexander Grigorievich Lukashenko left Hanoi on December 9, concluding his State visit to Vietnam at the invitation of President Truong Tan Sang.  During the visit, Lukashenko held talks with President Sang, met National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung and Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, and paid a courtesy call to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. During their talks, both sides expressed their satisfaction at the positive development of Vietnam-Belarus ties, and pledged their determination to strengthen the traditional friendship and all-around cooperation between the two countries. President Sang and the Belarusian leader also signed a joint statement on strengthening and developing Vietnam-Belarus comprehensive links. Besides economics, trade and investment cooperation, both sides were committed to fostering links across science-technology, national defence, education, health care, culture, sports and tourism. They noted the significance of the signing of a free trade agreement between Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union in May, and vowed to effectively realise the deal and further improve the role of the Inter-Governmental Committee in fostering bilateral ties. Both countries will facilitate business operations in each territory to increase trade.  They will work closely together at the United Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement and other international forums towards the goal of building a sound and fair global political and economic order. Both host and guest stressed the need to respect each country’s sovereignty, fairness and territorial integrity, the principle of non-interference in internal affairs and the peaceful settlement of disputes without the use of force or threat to use force, as well as the principle of win-win cooperation, for the sake of peace, stability and development. Vietnam and Belarus expressed their backing of the settlement of territorial disputes, including the East Sea dispute, by peaceful means in line with international law, the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the full implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea and the early formation of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea. The leaders also agreed to work towards building a strategic partnership between Vietnam and Belarus, and signed a number of agreements. On the occasion, Lukashenko paid a floral tribute to war heroes and late President Ho Chi Minh. VNA