MINSK, September 2. /TASS/. Belarus and Vietnam will carry on developing a bilateral political dialogue and diversifying it in all areas regarding the mutual economic cooperation, Belarusian news agency BelTA cited Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko as saying.

"On behalf of the Belarusian people and himself, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko has congratulated General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam To Lam and President Luong Cuong on the 80th anniversary of Vietnam’s independence," BelTA reported.

The news agency reported quoting Lukashenko in his message to To Lam: "Your visit to Belarus in this anniversary year of Vietnam’s independence stands as a vivid symbol of our unbreakable friendship."

"I am confident that our transition to a strategic partnership - a qualitatively new stage in our relations - will be defined by a deeper political dialogue, a diversification of our economic cooperation, the implementation of large-scale joint projects, and coordinated action in response to global and regional challenges," the Belarusian president noted.

"Strengthening close ties with Vietnam as our main partner in Southeast Asia is an absolute priority for Belarus," Lukashenko added.