(VOVWORLD) - Indian President Ram Nath Kovind is on an official visit to Vietnam to create momentum for the Vietnam-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The visit is at the invitation of Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong.
 Indian President Ram Nath Kovind and Vietnamese Party leader and President Nguyen Phu Trong |
Indian President Ram Nath Kovind’s visit to Vietnam, his first overseas trip since he took office, shows India’s respect for Vietnam and is evidence for the fine traditional friendship between the two countries.
Vietnam, India treasure comprehensive strategic partnership
Since Vietnam and India established a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2016, the two countries have increased high-level visits. They have expanded cooperation in politics, diplomacy, defense, security, economics, and trade. India is one of Vietnam’s 12 largest trade partners.
Two-way trade in the 2017-2018 fiscal year totaled nearly 13 billion USD, up 27%. India’s exports to Vietnam totaled 7.8 billion USD and its imports from Vietnam totaled more than 5 billion USD. In the first 10 months of this year, bilateral trade reached 9.2 billion USD, up 47%. The two countries aim to raise bilateral trade to 15 billion USD by 2020. Vietnamese Ambassador to India Pham Sanh Chau said: “India is an important partner of Vietnam and one of Vietnam’s comprehensive strategic partners. India is a high-potential tourism and export market with a population of 1.4 billion people. The good friendship and strong political trust between the two countries, I believe, creates a great potential for further cooperation.”
Vietnam and India have favorable conditions for strengthening cooperation in education, health care, tourism, culture, and people-to-people exchanges. The two countries have particularly focused on promoting cooperation in defense and security. Former Deputy Foreign Minister Dang Dinh Quy said: “The two sides have implemented several projects involving weapons sales, science and technology research, and training. India has trained Vietnamese in defense, security, and operating submarines and new-generation aircraft.”
Indian President’s visit promotes bilateral ties
Vietnam praises India’s Act East policy and affirms its own role as a coordinator of ASEAN-India ties. Vietnam has done its best to boost ASEAN-India partnership. India considers ASEAN the center of its Act East policy and Asia Dream, and Vietnam is a pillar of that policy.
Indian scholars and experts agree that the Indian President’s visit to Vietnam is of great importance to improving cooperation in several fields.