Seminar highlights Vietnam-India strategic partnership

A seminar themed “Vietnam-India Strategic Partnership: Future Orientations” was held in Hanoi on July 17 by the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam (DAV), in coordination with the Indian embassy in Hanoi.

The seminar is part of the activities to celebrate the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties betweem Vietnam and India, and the fifth anniversary of their strategic partnership, as well as the 2012 Friendship Year, as agreed by senior leaders during President Truong Tan Sang’s visit to India in October 2011.

During the seminar’s five discussion sessions including 14 reports and various opinions, participants praised the time-honoured Vietnam-India friendship nurtured by late President Ho Chi Minh and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, adding that bilateral ties are growing closer and more reliable, especially after the two countries signed the joint statement to establish a Vietnam-India strategic partnership in 2007.

Bilateral relations in national security and defence have developed fruitfully in the past few years. Both sides have maintained exchanges of high-level visits, as well as mechanisms for strategic dialogues between deputy defence ministers and increasing cooperation in military training, naval activities and national defence.

Economic, trade and investment cooperation has developed rapidly with total two-way trade turnover reaching US$3.9 billion last year, a nearly quadrupling in the last five years.  In the first half of this year, bilateral trade reached US$1.89 billion.  

In his speech at the seminar, Deputy Prime Minster Nguyen Thien Nhan said Vietnam is keen to expand cooperation with India in education, science, and information and communications technology (ICT).

Vietnam and India share many common aspects in their histories and their strategic partnership has grown strong over the years. However, both nations are still far from matching their cooperation potential. The two sides should work together to increase their bilateral trade turnover to US$7 billion by 2015, Mr Nhan added.

Indian Ambassador to Vietnam Ranjit Rae, said that the seminar brings together experts, researchers and scholars from both countries to deliberate on topical issues of mutual interest.

The seminar also focused on the emerging security architecture in the Asia-Pacific region and highlighted the strategic partnership between India and Vietnam, particularly in bilateral political, national security and defense cooperation, trade, economics, and ICT.

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