Two Mismatches In Lukashenka’s Statements On Cooperation With Vietnam

During the negotiations with Vietnamese President Chiang Dai Kuang, the Belarusian ruler said a lot of positive things.

However, everything doesn’t look as wonderful from the perspective of facts, Solidarity writes.

"The friendly relations between the Belarusian and Vietnamese peoples ... as a result of the progressive development is reaching a qualitatively new level," – Aliaksandr Lukashenka said.

Unfortunately, he did not quote any figures to confirm his words. Meanwhile, the statistics doesn’t show any coming to a new level. In the recent years, the trade turnover between the countries has been steadily declining, and in 2016 it has reached the lowest level in the last seven years.

Here is one more curious statement of the Belarusian governor:

- By the end of the year, it is planned to launch a joint production of MAZ trucks in Vietnam.

In fact, it has long been launched. Since 2009, MAZ trucks have been assembled in the production areas of the VEAM Corporation from the supplied machine kits.

Another thing, the construction of a whole separate new plant is going on now – at the place of a rice field, which is curious.

There’s one more remarkable thing: 70% of the authorized fund of the new enterprise will go to the Vietnamese. And they have a demand: to localize production by 40% by using local parts and fittings in 4 years, the website of MAZ reports. That is, the trucks will gradually become not Belarusian, but Vietnamese.