The Vietnam-India friendship has stood the test of time and become the model of relations for countries across the world.
| Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son speaks at the reception celebrating the 77th Independence Day of the Republic of India held in Hanoi on August 16. Photos: Linh Pham/The Hanoi Times |
Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son said at the reception to mark the 77th Independence Day of the Republic of India held in Hanoi on August 16.
He said the traditional friendship between Vietnam and India was laid by President Ho Chi Minh and India’s founding fathers, namely Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru.
This relationship continues to be built upon and nurtured by generations of leaders and peoples of the two nations, Minister Son said. “Our two countries have always stood shoulder-to-shoulder, giving each other mutual support in the toughest periods in our respective histories.”
Echoing the same sentiments, Indian Ambassador to Vietnam Sandeep Arya said Vietnam has been a unique and special partner of India for over seven decades now.
The solidarity, trust and cooperation between Vietnam and India have been a steady factor that has been continuously strengthened, he added. “Looking ahead, the synergy of our national imperatives, our similar approaches to international relations and the deep affinity of our peoples indicate that the India-Vietnam friendship can only grow stronger and continue to be a solid pillar of mutual support.”
| Indian Ambassador to Vietnam Sandeep Arya at the event. |
Flourishing comprehensive relations
According to Minister Bui Thanh Son, the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Vietnam and India is constantly flourishing in all area, including the exchange of high-level delegations and engagement; defense and security cooperation; economic, trade and investment cooperation bringing about more concrete gains.
In 2022, bilateral trade stood at more than US$15 billion, exceeding the target set by high-level leaders. At the same time, major Indian businesses are looking to expand cooperation into strategic areas in Vietnam.
Cultural, educational and people-to-people cooperation between the two countries is also flourishing. Vietnam is welcoming a vast stream of visitors from India on a variety of tours. Just four years after the launch of first direct flight, there are more than 50 direct flights a week between the two countries’ major cities.
Moreover, there is also great otential for collaboration between Vietnam and India in emerging areas, such as digital and green economy, new materials, and the joint efforts to become important links in the global value chain.
At regional and international forums, Vietnam and India have always given each other invaluable assistance. Vietnam consistently favors India’s Act East Policy and the India-ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
The minister reiterated Vietnam's support for India’s role in important forums, including the Non-Aligned Movement, and for India to become a permanent member of the UN Security Council once this body’s membership is expanded.
| Minister Bui Thanh Son and Ambassador Sandeep Arya at the celebration. |
For his part, Ambassador Sandeep Arya reaffirmed that India and Vietnam are working together to strengthen all dimensions of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries. Meetings between the PMs, Foreign Ministers, Agriculture Minister, Defence Ministers, Public Security Ministers, Justice Ministers, Deputy Ministers of Trade in the last six months reflect the scope of exchanges and cooperation.
Economic, trade and business cooperation are particularly significant as the two countries are growing at more than twice the average global economic growth rate.
Indeed, the number of business delegations travelling in both directions, the extensive discussions on economic and financial issues, the revision of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement to extend mutual trade preferences and the active engagement at the level of provinces demonstrate the range of dialogue that are supplementing the partnership.
Notably, the warmth at the civilizationaland people level is a significant aspect of the breadth and depth of India-Vietnam ties.
These are reflected in the spiritual threads of Buddhism that guide our people, the shared heritage represented by hundreds of monuments across Vietnam, popularity of yoga demonstrated by mass events across 35 provinces or localities in Vietnam in the last two months.
Meanwhile, community projects are executed across ten provinces in Vietnam annually, tourist flows in both directions are expanding driven by growing number of direct flights, extensive academic and cultural exchanges have been conducted between institutions in India and Vietnam, Ambassador Sandeep Arya emphasized.
Speaking on India's 75 years of independence, Ambassador Sandeep Arya called it “an evolutional journey for India to where it stands now.”
He said India is undergoing transformational changes in terms of rapid infrastructure expansion, economic reforms, socio-economic progress, technological advancements backed by our national resolve to march forward amid a complex global situation.
Industrial development in India is particularly significant in the fields of renewable energy, semi-conductors, defence, high-speed railway, digital public goods for e-governance and payments for its large population and applications of technology such as telecommunication and space.
It is also an exceptional year for India in terms of our global contribution specially the Presidency of the G-20 under the theme ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future.’ They are actively working for peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region; chairing the Shanghai Cooperation Organization; and implementing recently upgraded India-ASEAN comprehensive strategic partnership.
