VN, India establish strategic partnership

Answering the Indian press agencies and newspapers at the ceremony, PM Nguyễn Tấn Dũng revealed that his India tour made strong impressions on the beautiful Indian country, its great Gengis civilization, history, culture as well as considerable achievements gained by the Indian people in all fields.

The Government leader emphasized that the solidarity and brotherhood between the two countries are surely to be nurtured forever.

“During this trip, I will discuss with Indian leaders some major solutions to develop our bilateral friendship and comprehensive cooperation to a new height, corresponding to the potentialities and desire of the two Governments and peoples, positively contributing to the economic development in each country as well as to peace, cooperation and prosperity in Asia-Pacific,” said PM Nguyễn Tấn Dũng.

Later, PM Nguyễn Tấn Dũng, his spouse and the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation laid a wreath at the Monument dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi. The Vietnamese PM wrote in the visitors' book: “The cause and thought of Great Mahatma Gandhi, the brilliant leader of the Indian people and an eminent fighter of the world national liberalization movement, are a bright example for all of us”.

At 10.30 AM of July 6, PM Nguyễn Tấn Dũng gave a reception to India House of People Speaker Shri Somnath Chatterjee. He also delivered a speech at the India-Việt Nam Business Forum organized in New Delhi. Once again, the Vietnamese PM highly spoke of the emergence of the Indian economy and the Việt Nam-India relationship. PM Nguyễn Tấn Dũng asked Indian businesses to do more investment in Việt Nam, confirming that the Vietnamese Government will provide best conditions for them to succeed in Việt Nam.

In the afternoon of July 6, after receiving leaders of the Communist Party of India (CPI), Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M), and the Opposite in the House of People, PM Nguyễn Tấn Dũng paid a courtesy visit to Indian President Abdul Kalam and had a meeting with Ms. Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson of the ruling United Progressive Alliance. Then, PM Nguyễn Tấn Dũng and his entourage had official talks to Indian PM Manmohan Singh before attending the signing ceremony of numerous documents. In the evening, a banquet was hosted by PM Manmohan Singh and his wife in honor of PM Nguyễn Tấn Dũng.

PM Nguyễn Tấn Dũng and Indian President Abdul Kalam  - Photo: VNGOP

At their talks held in New Delhi, PM Nguyễn Tấn Dũng and Indian PM Manmohan Singh agreed to officially establish the Việt Nam-Indian strategic partnership, paving the way for the two countries' all-faceted cooperation of common concern to expand further.

PM Nguyễn Tấn Dũng and his Indian counterpart sign the joint declaration  - Photo: VNGOP

To promote this new strategic partnership, the two government leaders agreed to further bolster the two countries' political, security and national defence ties, promote and deepen economic, trade and investment cooperation to increase two-way trade turnover to US$ 2 billion by 2010.

The Indian side said they took note of Việt Nam's request to recognise the Southeast Asian country's full-fledged market economy and pledged to take necessary measures to enable Vietnamese products to enter India' market.

On regional and international issues, PM Nguyễn Tấn Dũng expressed his support for India's "Look East" policy which was tailored to link India closely with Southeast Asia.

Right after the talks, the two PMs signed the joint declaration on the strategic partnership between Việt Nam and India and witnessed the signing of eight important cooperation documents: a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on fisheries and aquaculture cooperation; an MoU between Việt Nam’s Science and Technology Ministry and India’s Nuclear Energy Ministry on the implementation of an agreement on cooperation in the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes; an MoU on land and property exchange for the two countries’ diplomatic representative missions; an MoU on the establishment of an English Language Training Center in central coastal Đà Nẵng City; a cultural exchange programme; a cooperation plan on agricultural research and education between the two agriculture ministries for the 2007-09 period; an educational  exchange programme between the Vietnamese and Indian governments; and a cooperation agreement between the Viet Nam Steel Corporation and India’s Tata group.

During the visit, a number of business cooperation contracts and agreements totalling almost US$ 4.5 billion were signed between the two countries’ businesses.