Vietnam treasures ties with India

Nguyen Kim Ngan, Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee, made the statement during her meetings with Indian Lower House Speaker Meira Kumar and Upper House Hamid Ansari after attending the Indian parliament’s budget session on February 21.

Ngan was very delighted at her first visit to India which she described as an important factor in promoting regional and global peace, stability and prosperity. She congratulated India on its successful organization of the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit to mark 20 years of dialogue relations and upgrade the relations to a strategic partnership.

She also briefed Indian leaders on Vietnam’s latest developments and compared notes on the relationship between the two parliaments.

The long-standing relationship initiated by Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and President Ho Chi Minh and nurtured by succeeding generations is of special significance for the sake of maintaining peace, stability and sustainable development in the Asia Pacific region, Ngan stressed.

She said she was pleased to witness the positive and practical development of bilateral cooperation in economics, trade and investment over the years, especially since the two countries established their strategic partnership in 2007.

Despite suffering the impact of the global economic downturn, two-way trade between Vietnam and India reached nearly US$4 billion in 2012 and it is expected to hit US$7 billion by 2015.

Vietnam is willing to create the best possible conditions for major Indian economic groups to increase business and investment cooperation in the country.

Ngan thanked India for supporting Vietnam’s stance on the settlement of disputes in the East Sea through peaceful negotiations in line with international law including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

She also reiterated Vietnam’s consistent support for India’s bid for permanent membership of the UN Security Council.

Ngan said the two sides should promote the exchange between parliamentary friendship groups to share legislative experience, deepen mutual understanding and enhance bilateral ties in various fields.

The two countries should closely and effectively coordinate at international and regional inter-parliamentary forums such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the ASEAN Inter Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), she added.

Ngan expressed hope that India will back Vietnam’s proposal to host the IPU-132 scheduled for 2015 and send its delegates to join inter-parliamentary activities launched by the Vietnam NA.

Also on February 21, Ngan and her entourage laid wreaths at the grave of great Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi in New Delhi.