Vietnam-India Inter-Gov’t Committee convenes 15th meeting

The meeting was presided over by Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh who is paying an official visit to India from July 10-12 and his Indian counterpart Salman Khurshid.

The two sides expressed their delight at the positive development of the bilateral strategic partnership in key areas like politics, economics, national defence-security, science-technology, culture and education.

Apart from setting out orientations and concrete measures to promote the two nations’ ties in a more practical and effective manner, they vowed to maintain the exchange of all-level delegations and uphold the role of existing cooperation mechanisms like political consultation and strategic dialogue to lay a strong political foundation for comprehensive cooperation.

They agreed to promptly establish a Joint Sub-Committee on Trade and lift two-way trade to US$7 billion by 2015.

India pledged to facilitate Vietnamese investment in fields of its strength like hi-tech and software development, information technology (IT) training, oil and gas, power production, industry, chemicals, construction and animal feed processing. It also committed more preferential credit to Vietnam.

FM Minh affirmed that Vietnam will make it easier for Indian companies to work in the country.
The two FMs agreed to enhance cooperation in defence - one of the important pillars in the bilateral strategic partnership - including human resources training, defence industry, experience sharing to fight against terrorism, hi-tech and drug crimes, and engagement in the United Nations peace-keeping mission.

In education and training, they vowed to cement bilateral links by upholding the role of the joint working group in this field, and cultural cooperation and exchanges.

The Indian side promised to offer more scholarships to Vietnam and enhance the exchange of lecturers.

Both host and guest committed to facilitating the opening of a direct air route between the two nations, as well as encourage people-to-people exchanges and tourism development. They also agreed to boost connectivity via road and waterway.

They made it clear that both sides will work closely together at regional and global forums.
The Vietnamese side thanked India for backing its bid for a seat at the United Nations Human Rights Council for the 2014-2016 tenure and the International Hydrographic Organisation (IHO).

Vietnam also expressed its strong support for India’s Look East policy and its willingness to bolster cooperation between India and regional countries, as well as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Referring to the East Sea issue, India stressed its support for maritime freedom, security and safety in the East Sea, and said it backs relevant countries in the settlement of disputes by peaceful means in line with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and the early establishment of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).

During FM Minh’s visit to India, the two nations inked the 2013-2015 Action Plan to enhance cooperation in trade, investment, finance, education-training, science-technology, energy, oil and gas, and agriculture.

A Vietnamese Finance Ministry representative signed an agreement on the provision of preferential credit worth US$19.5 million for Vietnam with the Export-Import Bank of India (Eximbank).

The Joint Committee with convene its 16^th meeting in Vietnam in 2015.