Vietnam-India relations – 50 years of clear skies and diplomatic ties
A European Union website has documented the 50-year history of the Vietnam-India relationship in a new article, saying it is “as clear as a cloudless sky” as remarked by late Prime Minister Pham Van Dong more than four decades ago.
India’s Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla (left) and Vietnamese National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue in their meeting in Hanoi in April 2022. (Photo: VNA)
NewDelhi (VNA) – A European Union website has documented the 50-yearhistory of the Vietnam-India relationship in a new article, saying it is “asclear as a cloudless sky” as remarked by late Prime Minister Pham Van Dongmore than four decades ago.
Thelate PM’s statement has stood the test of time, given that now the twocountries celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishmentof diplomatic ties, according to moderndiplomacy.eu.
“Thereis a constant reiteration of Vietnam’s role in India’s Act East Policy and itsIndo-Pacific Vision which is cemented by bilateral relations in all fieldsincluding but not limited to economy, trade, defence and tourism,” it said.
From“Bilateral Relations” to “Strategic Partnership” to now a “ComprehensiveStrategic Partnership”, the two countries have always shared close diplomaticties which is a result of their shared experience of national struggles forindependence. Despite having different political systems, there has beennumerous high-level diplomatic visits and India has time and again played a keyrole in supporting Vietnam’s independence and unification or committing toproviding assistance in advancing Vietnam’s defence in the present decade.
"Vietnamis a vital and strategic partner for India, and as commented by Ambassador PhamSanh Chau, India has become one of Vietnam’s top three partners as acomprehensive strategic partner along with Russia and China, but India-Vietnam diplomatic relations are stronger," the article stressed.
India’sIndo-Pacific Vision is positive and inclusive of nations and beyond who have astake in it. ASEAN centrality and unity is an important element of the vision.Vietnam yet again plays a key role in the region and in India’s vision,especially with respect to the area of East Sea.
It highlighted economic and trade cooperation as a very important part of India-Vietnamrelations, noting that India is the most important market for Vietnam,accounting for 80% of Vietnam’s total trade with South Asian nations. India’s Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla mentionedthe desire to increase bilateral trade to reach 15 billion USD from theprevious 13.2 billion USD, while admiring the growth of Vietnam in a variety ofeconomic sectors.
Currentlythe two countries are implementing the 2021-2023 Action Programme that aims toimplement all the agreements and discussions that took place in official meetings.
🔯 Itreiterated that “the relationship is a longstanding one with deep understandingof each other’s needs and a mutual sense of respect. With a pending invite forIndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and policies that expand years, the skycontinues to be as clear as it was in 1980”./.
Indian Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City Madan Mohan Sethi has called on Indian universities to create chances for educational cooperation, including exchanging students and lecturers, with Vietnam.
India hopes to further expand partnerships with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Indian Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said at the ASEAN-India Foreign Ministerial Meeting that took place in Phnom Penh on August 4.
Scientists at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)’s National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune are training experts from Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand to tackle monkeypox amidst escalating concerns over the disease.
The Consulate General of India in Ho Chi Minh City is hosting a cultural event called “Namaste Vietnam Festival 2022” in HCM City and the south-central province of Khanh Hoa from August 12 – 21.
Party General Secretary To Lam and his spouse Ngo Phuong Ly, along with a high-ranking delegation of Vietnam arrived in Seongnam Air Base in Seoul on August 10 afternoon (local time), beginning a state visit to the Republic of Korea from August 10-13.
General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee To Lam and his spouse Ngo Phuong Ly departed from Hanoi on August 10 morning for a four-day state visit to the Republic of Korea (RoK), which is made at an invitation of RoK President Lee Jae Myung.
As part of the ASEAN Day celebrations, the Vietnamese embassy will also host the ASEAN Family Day 2025 in Ottawa to foster solidarity and community spirit among ASEAN members in Canada.
State President Luong Cuong’s trip once again reaffirmed the Party and State’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification and multilateralisation of relations. It also reflected the strong trend of enhanced cooperation among countries of the Global South in shaping a new, more multipolar, fair and equitable world order.
The outcomes of Party General Secretary To Lam's visit will serve as a driving force and source of inspiration for the two countries to inherit, promote, and elevate their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, contributing to the national construction and development cause in each country, and to peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 9 inspected the construction site of the new Phong Chau bridge, and surveyed a planned route for the Lao Cai – Hanoi – Hai Phong railway section running through the northern province of Phu Tho.
Across print, broadcast, and online platforms, Angolan media portrayed State President Luong Cuong's visit as a warm and historic occasion, strengthening bilateral ties and boosting Vietnam’s presence in Africa through the AU.
The 500kV Lao Cai – Vinh Yen power transmission line has a total investment of over 7.41 trillion VND (282.5 million USD), and a total length of 229.5 km, passing through 31 communes in the two provinces, and comprising 468 transmission tower foundations.
The visits reflected the elevated position of Vietnam’s foreign policy in the new era—aimed at not only advancing ties with key regional partners like Egypt and Angola but also delivering a strategic message about Vietnam’s commitment to deepening relations with African nations as a whole.
At their talks and meetings, President Cuong and Angola’s top leaders affirmed that the close brotherhood and traditional friendship are a valuable shared asset and a solid foundation for the two nations to advance into a new phase of development.
The ruling People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) attaches great importance to the friendship, solidarity, and comradeship with the Communist Party of Vietnam, and voiced her Party’s wish to further deepen and expand relations between the two sides for the benefit of the Vietnamese and Angolan people.
Vietnam pledges to do its utmost to build an ASEAN of solidarity, consensus, and unity in diversity, and to foster a fast and sustainable development path for ASEAN, grounded in science, technology, and innovation, said Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
Party General Secretary To Lam called on the criminal police force to accelerate the application of science, technology, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation in criminal investigation tasks such as crime prevention, detection, tracking and verification, ensuring that no area remains out of their reach.
Many Koreans living, studying, and working in Hanoi see the upcoming state visit to the Republic of Korea (RoK) by Party General Secretary To Lam as an opportunity to generate strong synergy in economic cooperation, people-to-people exchanges, and cultural understanding.
The achievements of the five decades of Vietnam–Angola cooperation provide a strong and enduring foundation, as well as momentum for the two sides to consolidate, expand, and bring their partnership into a new phase of development.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stressed that the emulation and commendation work is a vital driver, fostering patriotism, dedication, and collective momentum in the run-up to the 11th National Patriotic Emulation Congress, Party congresses at all levels, and the 14th National Party Congress.
Emphasising the need for sustainable, long-term collaboration, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man called on Japanese investors not only to bring in capital but also to share expertise and modern technology, especially in areas such as green transformation, the circular economy, and advanced corporate governance.
President Luong Cuong's activities during his state visit to Angola, the celebration of the financial sector's 80th traditional day, and the Foreign Ministry's flag-hoisting ceremony marking the 58th founding anniversary of ASEAN are among news highlights on August 8.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Pham Viet Hung praised the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ meaningful initiative, noting that the ASEAN Family Run was not only a sporting activity but also an opportunity for diplomats and their families to show unity, connection, and solidarity within the ASEAN family.
Politburo member, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 8 attended the first congress of the Party Organisation of Tay Ho ward of Hanoi for the 2025–2030 term, during which he called for fresh momentum to turn the ward into a model that takes the lead in all fields.
India’s Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla (left) and Vietnamese National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue in their meeting in Hanoi in April 2022. (Photo: VNA)
