VN, India promote effective cooperation
VGP – State President Tran Dai Quang and his spouse will pay a State visit to the Republic of India from March 2-4.
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From traditional friendly friends to comprehensive strategic partnership
Viet Nam and India had traditional friendly ties which have been preserved and developed through years.
The two countries set up strategic partnership in 2007. Especially, the bilateral ties were elevated to comprehensive strategic partnership in September 2016, reflecting the broad development, confidence, and effective ties in preparation for the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties and the 10th anniversary of strategic partnership in 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.
Bilateral national defense-security links have been improved with the upgrade of national defense dialogue from deputy ministerial into ministerial level in June 2016 and the establishment of a national defense dialogue mechanism in 2003. Extended defense ties were seen in naval, ground and air forces with a focus on training, defense industry and vessel visits.
Extensive cooperation in all fields
Since 2007, the two countries have expanded cooperation in all areas from economics, trade, investment, to national defense, security, science, education, culture, tourism, and agriculture.
So far, India is among top 10 trade partners of Viet Nam while Vietnam is a top priority in India’s Look East policy.
Two-way trade was estimated at US$ 7.5 billion in 2017, up 37.7%. 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 currently invests in seven projects worth US$ 6.15 million in India.
India is assisting Viet Nam in personnel training in many fields via providing scholarships and establishing training centers in Ha Noi, the central city of Da Nang and Nha Trang city in Khanh Hoa province.
Promoting exchanges and connectivity
India supported Viet Nam to train human power in various areas including IT, economics, law, and English via different short-term and long-term scholarships.
The two countries signed a cultural exchange programme for 2015-2017 and held exchanges, fairs and exhibitions to popularise culture and tourism. They also signed a memorandum of understanding on establishing Nalanda University to pave the way for further Buddhism cooperation, while India opened the India Cultural Centre in Ha Noi to popularize Bollywood movies, yoga and Buddhism.
Over the last recent years, the number of Indian visitors to Viet Nam has been impressive, jumping 17% on average in the 2010-2016 period.
India transferred technologies to Viet Nam and boosted technical coordination in the fields of remote sensing, nano, bio and information technology, oceanography and climate change.
The two nations have offered mutual support in multilateral forums, especially at the United Nations. As the coordinator of the India-ASEAN partnership for 2015-2018, Vietnam supports India’s “Act East” policy, and its initiatives to boost regional connectivity, especially Cambodia-Laos-Myanmar-Viet Nam and Mekong Ganga Cooperation.
The first official visit to India of State President Tran Dai Quang and his spouse takes place at a time when the Viet Nam – India traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation have been developing extensively, affirming that Viet Nam consistently pursues an external policy of independence, self-reliance, multi-lateralization and diversification of international ties, including attaching importance to the friendship with India./.
By Kim Anh
