India, Vietnam to outline orientations for bilateral cooperation

At a meeting on April 21 with India’s Minister of State for External Affairs Vijay Kumar Singh, the Deputy FM said with the action programme, both sides can devise measures for bolstering cooperation in prioritised areas like defence-security, trade and investment, energy, capacity building, technology transfer, and scientific research.

Son welcomed Vijay Kumar Singh’s visit to attend the first activities of the Vietnam-India Friendship Year 2017, which marks 45 years of the countries’ diplomatic ties (January 7, 1972) and 10 years of their strategic partnership (July 6, 2007).

The two sides expressed delight at the progress in their countries’ relations over the past four and a half decades, particularly the elevation of bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official visit to Vietnam in September last year.

They agreed that the foreign ministries will closely work to organise major diplomatic activities in the Vietnam-India Friendship Year 2017, including delegation exchanges at all levels between the two States, Governments and parliaments, as well as between the people.

Minister of State Vijay Kumar Singh praised the contributions Vietnam has made as the coordinator of ASEAN-India relations for 2015-2018.

Vietnam and India have made great strides in bilateral ties as evidenced by the signing of important agreements in defence, atomic energy, cosmology, and information technology.

India will work with Vietnamese ministries and sectors to prepare for mutual high-ranking visits well and accelerate the approval and disbursement of credit packages for Vietnam, he said.

The two sides agreed upon the need to tap potentials and boost economic, trade and investment partnership, striving to boost two-way trade to US$15 billion by 2020. They urged the joint sub-committee on trade to convene as soon as possible to promote investment.

Vietnam welcomes Indian investment in energy, oil and gas exploitation, petro-chemistry, software development and IT training, textile and garment, and banking, Son said.

At the meeting, the two diplomats also exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual concern. They were unanimous in maintaining coordination and mutual support at regional and international forums such as ASEAN-India cooperation, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), and forums within the framework of the United Nations.

On the East Sea issue, they reiterated the wish and determination to cooperate to maintain peace, stability, security, safety and freedom of navigation and aviation in the East Sea on the basis of international law, especially principles in the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

They underlined the importance of due respect for the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), voicing the hope that relevant parties will soon reach a Code of Conduct (COC) in the waters.