NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue (L) and Indian President Ram Nath Kovind at their meeting (Photo: VNA)

The Indian President warmly welcomed the visit of the Vietnamese top legislator to India on the occasion of the 5th anniversary of the two countries’ comprehensive strategic partnership and the upcoming 50th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relationship.

Chairman Hue congratulated India for its accomplishments in socio-economic and scientific-technological development as well as its efforts to contain COVID-19 and restore the economy. He reiterated Vietnam’s consistent foreign policy of attaching importance to the time-honoured traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership with India.

The two leaders shared the view that the bilateral ties have seen strong development across the fields, from politics-diplomacy, economics, culture to people-to-people exchange, and most recently the two countries have given each other timely and effective support in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

They agreed to maintain mutual visits and all-level contacts of the two States, Governments, parliaments and through the Party and local channels. They also reached consensus on organising practical and meaningful activities to mark the 50th anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic relations in 2022.

NA Chairman Hue suggested that the two countries work closely together to implement well the plan of actions for 2021-2023 and the Joint Vision for Peace, Prosperity and People adopted in December 2020, so as to further promote their current fine relationship.

He also proposed strengthening cooperation in priority and potential aspects such as economics-trade-investment, defence-security, energy, science-technology, digital transformation, health care, education-training, culture, religion, tourism and people-to-people exchange.

The two sides agreed to the need to have plans for boosting people-to-people exchanges, culture and tourism in the post-COVID-19 period.

They promised to continue coordinating and supporting each other at international and regional forums, while renewing their support of efforts to push the settlement of disputes by peaceful means in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, for the sake of peace, cooperation, stability and development in the region and the world.

On the occasion, NA Chairman Hue conveyed an invitation to visit Vietnam from President Nguyen Xuan Phuc to the Indian President.

The meeting with the Indian President is the last activity in the official visit to India of the NA Chairman and the NA delegation.

NA leader meets India's Karnataka State Governor

National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue met Governor of Karnataka State Thawar Chand Gehlot on December 18 as part of his official visit to India from December 15-19.

Highlighting the sound traditional friendship between the two countries and the mutual support in COVID-19 fight, Thawar Chand Gehlot said that he believes the India-Vietnam relationship will continue to thrive in the future.

NA Chairman Hue expressed pleasure at the strong growth of the Vietnam-India ties, underlining that Vietnam will always remembers the whole-hearted and effective support that India has given to Vietnam during the past struggle for liberation and the current national construction and defence, and especially during the fight against COVID-19.

The Vietnamese top legislator said that in his second visit to the state, he is impressed at the growth of Karnataka and particularly Bengaluru city, which is considered a “Silicon Valley” of India.

He said that during his visit to India this time, a Vietnam-India business forum has been held at largest scale ever, attracting the direct participation of more than 200 enterprises while 500 others attended online. Right at the forums, Vietnamese and Indian firms signed 12 cooperation deals, including four agreements with already approved value at 4.8 billion USD in total, which manifested the interest of businesses of both sides in each other’s market, he said.

Holding that cooperation potential between the two countries and among localities of both sides remain great, Hue said he hopes Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot and leaders of Karnataka will work to expand partnership with Vietnamese localities and promote investment cooperation between its businesses and their Vietnamese peers, especially in areas of Karnataka’s strength and Vietnam’s demand such as innovation, digital transformation, information and communication technology, and semi-conductor industry.

Thawar Chand Gehlot said that Karnataka is a leading locality of India in science-technology, renovation, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment and automobile manufacturing. He said he hopes the Vietnamese NA leader’s visit will help both sides explore new partnership opportunities in these areas.

Source: VNA