Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung left Hanoi on October 27 for a three-day official visit to India at the invitation of his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.
Vietnam and India enjoyed a time-honoured relationship which was founded by President Ho Chi Minh and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and nurtured by generations of Vietnamese and Indian leaders and people.
They established diplomatic ties in 1972 and later strategic partnership in 2007 around the five pillars of politics, defence-security, economy-trade, science-technology, and culture and personnel training.
Both nations have worked closely together at global and regional forums such as the ASEAN-India dialogue, the East Asia Summit, the Non-Aligned Movement and the United Nations (UN). Vietnam backed India as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2011-2012 tenure.
India , in turn, sided with Vietnam in its bid to join the UN Human Rights Council for 2014-2016 term and seek a non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council for 2020-2021 term.
On the basis of sound political relations, bilateral cooperation in a multitude of areas in other fields has also flourished. Two-way trade has increased over the years since both nations established strategic partnership in 2007.
They have become important trade partners of each other with bilateral trade volume reaching US$5.23 billion in 2013, up 32% over 2012.
The two countries are targeting to raise bilateral trade to US$15 billion by 2020.
Vietnamese staple exports to India include components, chemicals, wood and timber products, iron and steel, coal, agricultural products, vehicles and spare parts, garments and footwear.
Investment between the two nations show positive signs and is expected to grow rapidly in the future when Indian TATA Group carries out the Long Phu thermal power project worth US$1.8 billion in southern Soc Trang province. As of May 2014, India has poured US$273 million in 73 investment projects in Vietnam.
In terms of cultural and educational cooperation, India is helping Vietnam with the training of high quality human resources in the fields of information technology, economics, law and English teaching.
Regular cultural exchange programs have enhanced mutual understanding between the two peoples. India is accelerating the early opening of an Indian Cultural Centre in Hanoi.
Vietnam and India have always closely coordinated and offered mutual support at regional and international forums like the UN, ASEAN, ARF, ADMM and RCEP. India backed Vietnam’s candidacy as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2020 -2021 term.
Vietnam has supported India in joining the UN Security Council for next term and running for a seat as a permanent member when the UN Security Council is expanded.
PM Dung’s visit is also designed to further develop cooperation in various fields- science, technology, culture, education, tourism and aviation.
Regarding the East Sea issue, during the State-level visit to Vietnam by Indian President Pranab Mukherjee last September, the two sides affirmed their desire and determination to work together to maintain peace, stability, growth and prosperity in Asia.
They agreed that freedom of navigation in the East Sea can not be impeded and called the concerned parties to exercise restraint, avoid the threat to use of force and settle disputes through peaceful means in accordance with the principles of globally recognized international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 (UNCLOS) and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) towards the formulation of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) on the basis of consensus.
India has pledged its continued cooperation with Vietnam in oil exploration in the waters of Vietnam in the East Sea.
During his upcoming visit, PM Dung is scheduled to have talks with Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi, meet with President Pranab Mukherjee to compare notes on regional and international issues of common concern, give a speech at the Vietnam-India Business Forum and visit a number of cultural and historical sites.
