Highlights in VN-India relations
VGP – State President Tran Dai Quang’s State visit to India from March 2-4 is expected to enhance cooperation in all fields of economics, trade and investment, defense-security, education, culture, agriculture, energy and science-technology.
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Viet Nam-India relationship was upgraded to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in September 2016, reflecting the intensive, reliable and effective development in the two nations’ relations, especially in the context of the 45th founding anniversary of diplomatic ties and the 10th anniversary of the Strategic Partnership in 2017.
The two sides exchanged high-ranking delegations at all levels, particularly Indian PM Pranab Mukhejee and PM Narendra Modi’s official visits to Viet Nam in 2014 and 2016, respectively and the visits of former Vietnamese PM Nguyen Tan Dung, National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan and PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc to India in 2014, 2016 and 2017, respectively.
Cooperative mechanisms between the two sides have been strengthened such as the Viet Nam-India Inter-Governmental Committee on Economic and Science-Technology Co-operation, political consultation and strategic dialogue at the deputy foreign ministerial level between Viet Nam and India.
Economic-trade relations accelerated
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Photo: VGP/Thuy Dung |
Two-way trade turnover in 2017 reached US$7.5 billion, up 37.7% against 2016.
As of November 2017, India has poured US$756 million in 168 projects in Viet Nam, ranking 28 among 126 nations and territories investing in Viet Nam. Viet Nam now has invested in seven projects in India, worth US$6.15 million.
Viet Nam and India are members of the ASEAN - India Investment Agreement under the framework of the ASEAN-India Trade in Services and Investment Agreements signed in 2014.
The two nations are encouraging cooperation in small and medium-sized enterprises development through the establishment of the Viet Nam-India Entrepreneurship Development Centre (VIEDC) in Ha Noi and the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in small and micro-enterprises.
India’s Tata Power Group has proposed to invest US$1.8 billionin the Long Phu 3 thermal power plant in the Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang.
Cooperation in defense-security, culture, regional and international forums
Regarding defense-security cooperation, Viet Nam and India upgraded deputy ministerial-level defense dialogue to ministerial level, held the ninth session of the deputy ministerial-level defense policy dialogue and expanded defense-security cooperation in such areas as navy, army and air forces as well as focused on training, defense industry and navy ships’ visits.
The two nations inked the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in UN peacekeeping operations, the Technical Agreement on Non-military Maritime Information Sharing, the cooperative agreement between the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security and the Indian National Security Council and the MoU in the field of cyber security.
In education and culture, India has assisted Viet Nam in high-quality human training in such areas as information-technology, economics, law and English through providing around 150 short and long-term scholarships.
In 2014, the two nations signed culture exchange program in 2015-2017 phase, MoU on the establishment of Nalanda University and organized a number of exchange activities and fairs to advertise culture and truism.
Indian visitors to Viet Nam witnessed annual remarkable growth of 17% in 2010-2016 period and 30% in 2017, attaining 85,000 ones.
Viet Nam’s Vietjet Air is planning to open Ho Chi Minh City-Delhi direct air route in the upcoming time.
The two countries are closely cooperating at multi-lateral forums, especially at the UN, supporting each other to nominate at the UN Security Council and ECOSOC.
Viet Nam advocates India to realize its Look East policy, initiatives to connect region and develop the Greater Mekong Sub-region and the Mekong–Ganga Cooperation (MGC).
By Thuy Dung
