Party chief, Indian PM hold talks

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong holds talks with Indian PM Manmohan Singh, New Delhi, India, November 20, 2013 - Photo: VOV

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and Indian PM Manmohan Singh held talks in New Delhi on November 20.

Political relationship enhanced

The Vietnamese Party Chief and the Indian PM agreed to exchange high-ranking delegations at all levels, bring into full play the bilateral cooperative mechanism in diplomacy, national defense and security, and increase the cooperation between Parties, ministries, agencies, localities and people.

They stressed the cooperation in national defense and security, regarding it as a crucial pillar in the two sides’ strategic partnership. They agreed to expand cooperation in defense industry, technology transfer, training forces as well as share information about anti-terrorism, anti-pirates and trans-national crimes.

Economic cooperation promoted

The two leaders applauded the two nations’ relationship over the past 40 years, especially after the establishment of the strategic partnership in 2007. Two-way trade turnover reached nearly US$4 billion in 2012 and US$4 billion in the first nine months of 2013. India has invested in 74 projects in Viet Nam.

The two countries will make efforts to implement the agreements reached at the 15th meeting of their joint committee on economy, trade and science and technology cooperation, with the aim of bringing two-way trade turnover to US$7 billion in 2015, and targeting US$15 billion in 2020.

In addition, Viet Nam will create favorable conditions for Indian businesses to build the Long Phu 2 thermal power plant project, accelerate the opening of a direct air route to promote trade and tourism and provide preferential loans for infrastructure development projects in Viet Nam.

They also agreed to maintain and expand cooperation in oil and gas exploration and exploitation in Viet Nam’s territorial waters in the East Sea.

India’s Look East Policy applauded

At the meeting, General Secretary Trong and the India PM also discussed regional and international issues of mutual concern.

The leaders agreed that all disputes in the East Sea should be settled by peaceful means, in line with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

They pledged the close coordination in their stance and activities on regional and international forums.

General Secretary Trong hailed India’s Look East Policy, and highly valued its boosting of strategic partnership with ASEAN.

He also pledged to support India’s participation in mechanisms where ASEAN plays a central role, contributing to maintaining peace, stability, cooperation and development in the Southeast Asian and East Asian region.

Party Chief Nguyen Phu Trong invited PM Manmohan Singh to visit Viet Nam in the near future, which was accepted.

Eight cooperation documents signed

Following their talks, the two leaders held a joint press conference and witnessed the signing of eight cooperation documents, namely the Air Service Agreement, an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the establishment of the Indira Gandhi Hi-tech Crime Lab in Ha Noi, an agreement on Protection of Classified Information, an MoU between two Ministries of Finance, a cooperation agreement between HaNoi National University and Indian Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, an MoU on cooperation between India Institute of Management (IIM) Bangalore and Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Public Administration, an MoU between Viet Nam Oil and Gas Group and ONGC Videsh Limited (OVL), and an MOU between the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade and Tata Power Ltd. on the development of the 1,320MW Long Phu 2 Thermal Power Project in Soc Trang province, Viet Nam.

By Thuy Dung