This will be the first-ever state visit to India by a Vietnamese leader simultaneously holding the positions of Party General Secretary and President. It coincides with the 10th anniversary of the two countries’ Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Strengthening the strategic political foundation
Vietnam-India relations were founded by President Ho Chi Minh and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, and are rooted in shared historical experiences, cultural similarities, and solidarity in struggles for independence. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1972, the Vietnam-India relationship has steadily strengthened, culminating in the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2016. Over the past decade, bilateral ties have expanded in both depth and breadth, becoming one of the most dynamic and effective cooperation frameworks in the region.
Vietnamese Ambassador to India Nguyen Thanh Hai said: "Political cooperation has continued to consolidate, with growing mutual trust. Leaders of the two countries have regularly exchanged high-level visits and conducted regular interactions on the sidelines of international forums, showing strong political commitment. More than 20 bilateral cooperation mechanisms are currently in place, contributing to the effective implementation of joint initiatives, and many important agreements have been signed and carried out."
Building on this solid political foundation, economic and trade ties have also expanded substantively and efficiently. Two-way trade reached a record 16.46 billion USD last year, up 10.5% from 2024 and approximately 2.5 times higher than in 2016. India is now among Vietnam’s top 8 trading partners. Cooperation in science, technology, innovation, digital transformation, energy, education, and training continues to gain momentum.
Defense cooperation, people-to-people exchanges, and collaboration in culture and tourism have emerged as bright spots in the Vietnam-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The achievements of the past decade provide a strong platform for both countries to further elevate their partnership in the years ahead.
Ambassador Hai said: “India’s strong rise as a major power, together with Vietnam’s rapid development in recent years, and the two countries’ shared development vision and converging perspectives on many regional and global issues, is creating expanding opportunities to deepen cooperation. In addition to consolidating established areas of collaboration, both sides should promote new fields of partnership that align with each country’s evolving development needs.”
Strong impetus for national development goals
As Vietnam aims to become a developed country by 2045 and India by 2047, leaders of both nations feel a desire to strengthen their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Party leader and President Lam’s visit is expected to create stronger bilateral cooperation in the next stage. Amid global economic uncertainties and a changing regional order, the momentum generated by this trip could enable the two countries to respond more effectively to shared challenges.
Ambassador Hai said: "At a time when both India and Vietnam are rising strongly and the regional and global landscape is undergoing profound changes, the visit is an important opportunity for the two countries’ leaders to shape bilateral cooperation in the new phase. It will further strengthen ties between the leaders of the two nations, and relations between their ruling parties. The visit also provides an excellent platform to enhance comprehensive connectivity between ministries, sectors, and localities of both countries, and to deepen linkages between businesses in various fields including technology firms, startups, and innovation hubs."
The visit is expected to inject new energy, open up broader avenues of cooperation, and elevate the Vietnam-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to new heights in the new era, contributing directly to the realization of each country’s long-term development goals.
