Photo exhibition “Vietnam - India: 50 years of cooperation”

The event aims to celebrate 50 years of the Vietnam - India diplomatic ties (January 7, 1972 - January 7, 2022) and five years of the Vietnam - India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (September 2016 - September 2021).

Vietnam and India boast a long-standing friendship. The foundation of their friendship was set up by the two preeminent leaders - President Ho Chi Minh and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru - when Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru paid a friendship visit to Vietnam on October 17, 1954, right after Hanoi capital had been liberated, and President Ho Chi Minh made a similar trip to India in February 1958.

Through ups and downs in history, the sound traditional friendship between Vietnam and India has always been nurtured, consolidated, and developed to a new level by generations of the two countries’ leaders and people in the interests of both sides, and it has been developing well across all fields.

The display features 50 black-and-white and colour archive photos which truthfully and vividly reflect the increasingly strong solidarity, friendship, and cooperation between the peoples of Vietnam and India.

The black-and-white photos introduce to the public touching moments of bilateral ties, from President Ho Chi Minh’s warm reception for Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru during the latter’s visit to Vietnam to the presence of both President Prasat and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru at the New Delhi airport to welcome President Ho Chi Minh, the warm welcome by New Delhi people for the Vietnamese leader during his India visit in February 1958, along with an image of Hanoians lining the street to welcome Indian President Prasat to Vietnam on March 22, 1959.

By logging on https://link.gov.vn/TLAVNAD (in Vietnamese) and https://link.gov.vn/PICVNAD (in English), visitors can get a look at important milestones in the two countries’ relations, including  the signing ceremony of the Joint Declaration on the Framework of Comprehensive Cooperation between Vietnam and India as they enter the 21st Century; the elevation of bilateral ties to a Strategic Partnership and then to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership; Indian President Ram Nath Kovind’s attendance in the sixth session of the 14th National Assembly of Vietnam; as well as activities in economic and defence cooperation, people-to-people diplomacy, and mutual support and assistance in the combat against the COVID-19 pandemic.

The exhibition opening ceremony was attended by representatives of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations, and the Vietnam - India Friendship Association.

In her opening remarks, VNA General Director Vu Viet Trang noted that through the exhibition organisers wish to highlight the historic landmarks in the traditional and long-standing friendship between the two countries, as well as the profound sentiment and sharing the countries’ peoples have given to each other over the last five decades.

Echoing the view, Indian Ambassador to Vietnam Pranay Verma said the photo exhibition provides an insight into the relations and close friendship between the two nations. The common values and interests, along with the deep mutual trust and understanding, have turned Vietnam into an important partner of India in terms of bilateral, regional, and global cooperation. He expressed his belief that in the next 50 years, the close friendship between the two peoples will become increasingly strong and the Vietnam - India relations will reach new levels.

The virtual photo exhibition “Vietnam - India: 50 years of cooperation” is taking place at https://link.gov.vn/TLAVNAD (in Vietnamese) and https://link.gov.vn/PICVNAD (in English) from January 7 to 11, 2022.