(VOVworld)- Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has congratulated the Vietnam-India Friendship Association on the 45th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations.  In the letter, which was publicized at a celebration in Hanoi on Friday, PM Phuc said Vietnamese and Indian relations have been increasingly reinforced in all aspects. He wrote the close cultural connections, the sincere friendship and the common values in independence, liberty, equality and fraternity have created a solid and long-term foundation for the two peoples’ relations. That is a valuable common asset that generations of Vietnamese and Indian people must treasure and promote.

Chairman of the Vietnam-India Friendship Association Truong Minh Tuan, who is also Minister of Information and Communications

Addressing the celebration, Chairman of the Association Truong Minh Tuan, who is also Minister of Information and Communications, said Vietnam aims to become a strong IT and software country by 2020 with more than 1 million engineers and consider IT a spearhead industry that will support other economic sectors. Tuan said: “India is a world power in IT and software industry. This is the area that the two countries need to strengthen cooperation in. The MOU on strengthening IT cooperation and e-government which was signed during the Indian Prime Minister’s visit to Vietnam will serve as a legal basis for both countries to realize their cooperation prospects”.