The host said the visit is a vivid manifestation of the long-standing friendship founded by Prime Minister Jawarhalal Nehru and President Ho Chi Minh and fostered by generations of leaders and the people of the two countries. 

Kovind expressed his delight at visiting Vietnam, his first destination in Southeast Asia since he took office in July 2017. 

Both sides shared the view that bilateral ties are growing strongly in diverse areas, especially since the establishment of the strategic partnership in 2007 and the upgrade of bilateral ties to the level of a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2016. 

They agreed to fully deliver on high-level political commitments and those in adopted political framework documents, and to further tap into potential and advantages– including the Action Plan of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for the 2017-2020 period – so as to deepen bilateral links. 

The two countries will also facilitate all-level visits and step up coordination via the Party, State, Government, National Assembly and local channels, as well as people-to-people exchange. 

As India is now one of the top 10 trade partners of Vietnam, host and guest together believed that two-way trade will soon hit 15 billion USD. 

They suggested increasing trade promotion, especially in energy, renewable energies, and high-quality agriculture, and encouraged the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group and the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation of India to actively explore oil and gas in Vietnam, as well as seek cooperation models with third countries. 

The two sides agreed on the importance of promoting connectivity and accelerating procedures to help Vietjet soon launch its direct flights between Ho Chi Minh City and New Delhi. 

Host and guest spoke highly of activities launched by each country’s cultural research centre in Hanoi and New Delhi. 

The Indian President thanked Vietnam for holding activities celebrating the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi this year and the annual International Day of Yoga. 

Impressed by his visit to My Son sanctuary, the UNESCO-recognised world cultural heritage site, Kovind lauded the joint work to effectively launch a project on preserving the relic site. 

The Vietnamese leader hailed India’s support for the Cham community, including the building of Cham community houses and schools, as well as Cham cultural studies in the central province of Ninh Thuan.

The two leaders affirmed to continue their support for the localities, friendship and people’s organisations, and scholars and researchers of the two countries towards enhancing collaboration and creating favourable conditions for their press agencies to increase activities in each nation.

The two sides agreed to maintain the annual exchange of youth delegations to enable younger generations of the two countries to explore each other’s histories and cultures. 

The Indian side pledged to continue providing scholarships for Vietnam through the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme and the Cultural Exchange Programme’s General Cultural Scholarship Scheme (CEP/GCSS), as well as those for students and postgraduates from ASEAN countries to pursue doctoral courses in India.

Host and guest hailed the defence-security cooperation as strategic, effective, and practical, and agreed to step up collaboration and support in training human resources and realising the affiliation between the two nations’ armed services. 

The Indian side said it is willing to share its experience in organising and training UN peacekeeping forces, as well as assisting Vietnam in addressing its post-war consequences.

The two sides applauded the implementation of a 100 million USD credit package to build high-speed patrol vessels for Vietnam’s border guards and agreed to soon organise the first marine security dialogue.

Party General Secretary and President Trong spoke highly of India’s important role and voice at international forums. The two sides affirmed to continue close coordination and mutual support at multilateral forums, particularly the United Nations. They also consented to support each other in their bids to become a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2020-2021 (for Vietnam) and 2021-2022 (for India).

The Indian President stressed that Vietnam is a pillar in its “Act East” policy, as well as a key partner of the country in ASEAN. 

The Vietnamese leader welcomed India’s stance on the East Sea issue over the years, suggesting the South Asian nation continue backing the policies of Vietnam and ASEAN regarding this issue.

After the talks, the two leaders witnessed the signing of numerous documents, including a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Vietnamese Ministry of Information and Communications and the Indian Ministry of Communications on cooperation in the communications sector, and another between the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics in Hanoi and the New Delhi-based Jawarhalal Nehru University on collaboration in academic research and exchange of lecturers and students.

The Department of External Affairs under the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Indian Chamber of Commerce (INCHAM) in Vietnam inked a MoU on creating channels to boost the investment and business climate in Vietnamese localities, while another agreement was also signed between the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the All India Association of Industries on stepping up bilateral trade and investment collaboration. 
Vietnam, India look to lift comprehensive strategic partnership

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Indian President Ram Nath Kovind discussed a joint vision to further deepen the Vietnam-India comprehensive strategic partnership during their meeting in Hanoi on November 20 on the occasion of the Indian leader’s state visit to Vietnam. 

The two sides agreed to regularly maintain visits and meetings at all levels, as well as people-to-people exchanges between the two countries, and effectively implement existing cooperation mechanisms and seek new measures to promote bilateral relations. 

PM Phuc took the occasion to convey his invitation to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi to visit Vietnam. 

The two leaders highlighted the effective defence cooperation between the two countries, agreeing that it is a key pillar of the bilateral ties. They applauded the implementation of the 100-million-USD credit package to support Vietnam’s border forces in building high-speed patrol boats.

They stressed the need to give priority to promoting economic cooperation in the coming time, towards soon reaching the goal of 15 billion USD in two-way trade. 

The two leaders suggested concerned ministries and sectors hold dialogues to explore possibilities to open up their markets, especially for goods of their strength.

PM Phuc thanked Indian leaders, especially Prime Minister Modi, for their goodwill and willingness to discuss solutions to reduce trade protection, thus protecting the interests of Vietnamese enterprises. 

He appreciated India's investment in fields of its strengths and meeting Vietnam’s demand such as energy, renewable energy, and high-tech agriculture.

The two sides agreed to intensify cooperation between the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation of India and the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam), especially in terms of stepping up the search and exploration of oil. They also agreed to actively implement the memorandum of understanding on cooperation in oil and gas exploration projects in third countries.

PM Phuc and President Kovind stressed the need to expand collaboration in the spheres of information technology, science-technology, culture, tourism, and people-to-people exchange, saying that there is huge potential for the two sides to boost their links in these fields. 

They also emphasised that it is necessary to increase connectivity, while agreeing to lay smooth conditions for Vietjet to soon operate direct flights from Ho Chi Minh City to New Delhi.

The two sides agreed to continue working closely and supporting each other at regional and international forums, especially within the United Nations.

Regarding the East Sea issue, the two leaders agreed on the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security, and freedom of navigation and aviation in the sea; and peacefully settling disputes in line with international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in 1982, and soon concluding an effective and binding Code of Conduct (COC) in the East Sea.

Top legislator meets with Indian President

National Assembly (NA) Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan on November 20 met with Indian President Ram Nath Kovind on the occasion of the latter’s state visit to Vietnam from November 18-20.

Ngan shared her memories of the Indian landscape and people following her two visits, as the top legislator in December 2016, and as the NA Vice Chairwoman in February 2013.

She said that the President’s acceptance to speak at the 14th NA’s sixth session is of significance, demonstrating the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership entering a new development phase.

The top legislator stressed that the participation of nearly 500 deputies, including various leaders from ministries, sectors, as well as 63 provinces and cities, at this important event shows the respect that the Vietnamese Party, State, and especially the NA have paid to India.

President Kovind affirmed that India attaches great importance to its time-honoured friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership with Vietnam across all fields. He thanked the legislature for inviting him to speak in front of the NA deputies during the event.

He expressed his belief that this event, as well as Chairwoman Ngan’s Indian visit in 2016 and a recent exchange of the two countries’ parliamentarian delegations, will help to tighten relations between the two legislative bodies.

Vietnam pledges close coordination with India Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong (R) and Indian President Ram Nath Kovind Vietnam will continue its close cooperation with India to further deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two nations, Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong has said. He made the affirmation on November 20 while meeting with domestic and international press in Hanoi to announce the outcomes of his talks with visiting Indian President Ram Nath Kovind. Besides discussing regional and global issues of mutual interests at the talks, both leaders laid stress on the necessity to deepen the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership in all sectors, and agreed to maintain cooperative mechanisms and carry out high-level agreements and documents inked between the two sides. They described defence-security as one of the important pillars in bilateral ties and stressed that both sides should strive to remove bottlenecks as well as work out practical policies and measures to elevate two-way trade with a view to increasing import-export revenue to 15 billion USD in the coming time. Also, they reached consensus to step up investment promotion activities in the fields of India’s strengths and Vietnam’s priority for development. Both leaders welcomed the cooperation between the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PVN) and the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) of India in oil exploration and exploitation in Vietnam, saying that more effective cooperative models should be put in place. In addition, they were unanimous in bolstering collaboration in culture, tourism, aviation, people-to-people exchange and education-training, among others. Host and guest affirmed close coordination and support for each other at multilateral forums, especially the United Nations and the Non-Aligned Movement. Vietnam welcomed India’s “Act East” policy, and spoke highly of India’s backup of ASEAN’s central role in the forming of the regional structure in East Asia. As a coordinator, Vietnam has made significant contributions to fostering the ASEAN-India relations, the host affirmed. The two leaders stressed the importance of building the Indo-Asia-Pacific into a peaceful and prosperous region based on respect of sovereignty, international law, and freedom of aviation and navigation. Vietnam attached importance to India’s stance on the East Sea issue in the past time, and thanked the Southern Asian country for continuing to support Vietnam’s viewpoint on this issue. Ram Nath Kovind, for his part, thanked Party General Secretary and President Trong for giving him and the Indian delegation a warm welcome. Vietnam is a strategic pillar of India in its “Act East” policy and an important dialogue partner of the country in the ASEAN. As the comprehensive strategic partners, Vietnam and India are enjoying thriving relations based on mutual trust and understanding, and close cooperation at multilateral forums. He expressed his delight over the robust economic ties between the two nations, with two-way trade reaching 12.8 billion USD in 2017. He said he hopes that with concerted efforts made by the two countries, they will realise the set goals of increasing trade revenue to 15 billion USD in 2020. The Indian President also underlined that similarities in culture have served as a catalyst to strengthening bonds between the two countries. Following their talks, both leaders witnessed the signing of several cooperation deals, including the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics and the Jawaharlal Nehru University, the MoU between the Vietnamese Ministry of Information and Communications and Indian Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, the MoU between the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Indian Confederation of Indian Industry, and the MoU between the President of the Indian Business Chamber in Vietnam and the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Department of Foreign Affairs of Localities. Friendship with Vietnam is special to India: Indian President Vietnam holds important position in India’s Act East policy, and the Southeast Asian country is among the nations that India has special friendship with, said visiting Indian President Ram Nath Kovind. Indian President Ram Nath Kovind delivers a speech at the plenary session of the 14th National Assembly’s 6th meeting He made the statement when delivering a speech at the plenary session of the 14th National Assembly’s 6th meeting on the morning of November 20. Ram Nath Kovind said that visits are vivid illustration of the sound relations between the two countries, citing the one by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2016 when both sides inked a historic agreement to upgrade their ties to comprehensive strategic partnership. He said that his visit to Vietnam at the invitation of President Nguyen Phu Trong is the very first to the country and the first to Asia since he took office in 2017. Regarding all-round cooperation, he said that the two countries have enjoyed strong bonds in economy, politics and people-to-people exchanges.   He described Vietnam and India as vibrant economies, saying that two-way trade reached 12.8 billion USD in 2017. India is among ten largest trade partners of Vietnam while Vietnam and ASEAN have crucial roles in India’s trade balance. Both nations have huge potential to cooperate and supplement each other in garment and textiles, agriculture and agricultural technologies, bio-tech and IT, energy and pharmaceuticals, infrastructure and mining, he said, underlining that Indian investors and service suppliers are eager to join the Vietnamese market. The two countries continued committing to bilateral cooperation at space security and multilateral forums. The Indian leader also expressed his hope that tourism collaboration will be further fortified, and both sides should work to increase the number of direct flights to connect the two nations. National efforts of the two countries have been made for the prosperity in each nation, thus, promoting business relations and firm connection has played an important role in the progress, he highlighted. The socio-economy has undergone substantial changes, and advanced technologies have changed lifestyles in both nations. India owns the largest startup ecosystem in the world, and is preparing to send an astronaut into space. The country stands ready to share experience with Vietnam in the fields of Vietnam’s interest and priority. Vietnam and India shared their views on the settlement of disputes via peaceful means, respecting legal and diplomatic processes and in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982 UNCLOS).  On behalf of the Vietnamese National Assembly (NA), NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan thanks the Indian President for his speech, which highlighted the sound relations between the two countries. She took the occasion to congratulate India on becoming the 6th largest economy in the world. The Vietnam-India comprehensive strategic partnership has been developed in a sound manner, with political trust being tightened via regular high-level and people-to-people exchanges. She said that the Vietnamese NA will do its utmost and join hands with the Parliament of India to consolidate the friendship for mutual benefits of the two peoples as well as for regional and global peace, prosperity, cooperation, and development.

VNA