Indian Party shows solidarity with Vietnamese people
(VOV) -The Communist Party of India (CPI) on May 31 celebrated late President Ho Chi Minh’s 124th birth anniversary with a film tribute to the glorious Dien Bien Phu Victory that ended French colonial rule in Vietnam.
Speaking at the tribute, CPI Secretary General Sudhakar Reddy and former CPI leader A.B. Bardhan recalled fond memories of President Ho and India’s late Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru who laid the cornerstones for the foundation of the two nation’s sustainable bilateral relationship.
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They expressed admiration for the outstanding leadership of President Ho that helped the Vietnamese people emerge victorious in their past struggles against foreign invaders for national independence and freedom.
Vietnamese ambassador to India Nguyen Thanh Tan mirrored their admiration for President Ho saying the fruitful Vietnam-India relations over past decades resulted from both the great contributions of President Ho Chi Minh and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, and the generations of the two countries’ leaders that followed in their footsteps.
As the two most dynamic economies in Asia, Vietnam and India have seen fine development in their strategic partnership in a host of fields over recent years- politics, economics, national defence, security, trade, education, and science and technology.
Last year two-way trade turnover was estimated at US$5.3 billion which is forecast to explode to over US$7 billion this year, Tan stated.
The Vietnamese diplomat also spoke to CPI officials about the serious situation in the East Sea after China illegally deployed its Haiyang Shiyou-981 oil rig in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf.
China’s actions are a clear and unequivocal violation of international laws, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC).
So far, China has sent more than 130 ships, including military ships and aircraft to protect its oil rig in Vietnam’s territorial waters, threatening peace, stability and maritime safety and security in the East Sea, he said.
Tan underscored that Vietnam wants to avail itself of all peaceful solutions to deal with the East Sea territorial dispute, asking China to withdraw its oil rig and escort ships from Vietnam’s waters and respect international law. However, he said, China has not yet acquiesced.