Creating new impetus for VN-India relations

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc meets Indian President Nath Kovind in India during the Vietnamese PM's visit to India to attend the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit and the 69th anniversary of the Republic Day, January 24, 2018 - Photo: VGP/Quang Hieu

• Indian President begins State visit to VN
• VN, India issue Joint Statement

Indian President Nath Kovind and his spouse will pay a State visit to Viet Nam from November 18-20 at the invitation of State President Nguyen Phu Trong.

The two countries set up strategic partnership in 2007 and elevated the bilateral ties to comprehensive strategic partnership in September 2016, reflecting the broad development, trust, and effective ties in preparation for the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties and the 10th anniversary of strategic partnership in 2017. 

In 2018 only, two Vietnamese senior leaders paid visits to India including PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s visit to India to attend the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit and the 69th anniversary of the Republic Day in January and late State President Tran Dai Quang’s State visit to India in March. 

This is the first visit to Viet Nam made by Mr. Ram Nath Kovind since he became President of India in July 2017. 

In terms of politics, both countries exchanged high-level delegations and cooperation mechanisms such as the Viet Nam – India Inter-Governmental Committee on Scientific-Technological and Cultural-Education Cooperation, political consultations and strategic dialogues between the two foreign ministries.

Defense cooperation - crucial and strategic pillar  

Defense cooperation is regarded as a crucial and strategic pillar in the two nations’ relationship. The annual defense policy dialogue convened 11 sessions. 

The two nations’ defense cooperation has been expanded in three fields of naval, army and air forces and focused on three areas of training, defense industry, and visits of naval ships.  

The first security dialogue at deputy ministerial level was organized in July 2018. 

The two sides have enhanced information and experience sharing in trans-national crime prevention, criminal science, drug prevention and control, cyber crime and high-tech crime prevention and anti-terrorism. 

The two countries have enhanced close coordination and mutual support at multi-lateral forums, including ASEM, ARF and ADMM , especially within the framework of the United Nations. 

They have backed each other at the United Nations Security Council (Viet Nam for the 2020-2021 phase and India for the 2021-2022 phase), United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) (Viet Nam for the 2014-2016 phase and India for the 2018-2020 phase), United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) (India for the 2015-2017 phase). 

Viet Nam has advocated India to launch the “Act East Policy” and initiatives to promote regional connectivity and the development of the Cambodia-Laos-Myanmar-Viet Nam (CLMV) and the Mekong–Ganga Cooperation (MGC). 

India has manifested its positive and consistent standpoint on the East Sea issue, highlighting the importance of peace, stability, safety, security and freedom of navigation and aviation as well as peacefully addressing disputes, respecting international law and urging to establish an effective, suitable and legally binding Code of Conduct (COC) in the East Sea. 

India-top 10 trade partners of VN

So far, India is among the top 10 trade partners of Viet Nam while Viet Nam is a top priority in India’s Act East policy. 

The bilateral trade turnover witnessed average growth of 16% per year in the 2008-2013 phase. 

Two-way trade was estimated at US$8.3 billion over the recent nine months of 2018 and US$7.63 billion in 2017. The two sides are heading to the bilateral trade value of US$15 billion in the upcoming time. 

As of late November 2017, India registered capital of US$ 756 million in Viet Nam, ranking 28th out of 126 countries and territories investing in the country. Viet Nam invested in seven projects worth US$ 6.15 million in India.

Regarding agricultural cooperation, the two sides extended the Action Plan on agricultural cooperation in the 2018-2020 phase and inked the Memorandum of Understanding on veterinary cooperation and the Agreement on cooperation in building tra fish farm. 

In term of science-technology cooperation, the MoU on cooperation between the DAE's Global Centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership and the Viet Nam Atomic Energy Institute was inked in March 2018 and the Agreement on Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy has come into effect in August 2017. 

By Thuy Dung