Vietnam always supports the Act East Policy and the increase of presence and connection of India in the Southeast Asia, National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan told Indian President Pranab Mukherjee. 

During her meeting with President Mukherjee on December 10 as part of her on-going visit to India, the Vietnamese top legislator hailed India’s viewpoint on East Sea-related issues. 

She expressed her joy at India’s great and comprehensive socio-economic achievements, as well as the remarkable development in the ties between the two countries over the last 45 years. 

She said Vietnam appreciates President Mukherjee’s statement that India considers Vietnam an important pillar in his country’s Act East Policy and a strategic partner of India in ASEAN.

While praising the Indian President for his contributions to the two countries' friendship, Chairwoman Ngan hopes President Mukherjee will continues working to further promote the bilateral relations, including links between the Vietnamese and Indian legislatures, for the sake of the two peoples as well as for peace, development, and prosperity in the region and the world. 

For his part, Pranab Mukherjee said he believes Ngan’s visit will contribute to ushering in a new chapter in the relationship between the  two countries. 

He shared his impression of Vietnamese landscape and people during his trip to Vietnam in 2014, affirming that Vietnam has obtained crucial achievements during its Doi moi (renewal) process. 

India and Vietnam need to boost economic ties through promoting trade exchange and creating favourable conditions for investors of both nations, towards lifting two-way trade to 15 billion USD by 2020, he suggested. 

The President hopes the Vietnamese Government and National Assembly will encourage Vietnamese firms to join the “Make in India” campaign launched by the Indian Government as well as the digital revolution of India. 

The two countries should also enhance cooperation in energy, especially nuclear, renewable and environmentally friendly energy, he said. 

The host reiterated India’s view on the East Sea issue, saying that India backs non-militarisation, the fully respect for legal and diplomatic processes, and the settlement of disputes through peaceful measures in line with international law, and opposes to the use of force and the threat to use force to solve disputes in the sea.

NA Chairwoman meets India Fund’s representatives

National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan had a meeting with representatives from the India Fund in New Delhi on December 10 on the occasion of her on-going official visit to the country. 

Speaking at the meeting, Chairwoman Ngan shared her hope that Vietnam and India will expand cooperation in new fields such as high-technology, the use of renewable energy and power-saving equipment, and nuclear energy use and outer space study for peaceful purposes.

She briefed participants on Vietnam’s recent socio-economic development, affirming that the country is active in promoting its international economic integration and improving the legal system, thus facilitating the country’s economic development goal. 

Vietnam boasts great potential in many fields, especially in infrastructure development, agriculture, processing industry and tourism, Ngan said, adding that Vietnam is calling for investment in developing transport infrastructure. 

India is a comprehensive strategic partner of Vietnam and it will continue to be a important priority in Vietnam’s foreign policy, she stressed.

Ngan said India is one of the ten largest trade partners of Vietnam, with two-way trade reaching about 5.5 billion USD a year, and expressed her hope to see more Indian firms to do business and invest in Vietnam in the coming time. 

Indian Minister for Railways Suresh Prabhu, member of the India Fund’s Board of Directors, highlighted the significance of the Vietnamese top legislator’s visit, saying that it will pave the way for closer cooperation between the two nations.

The two sides need to bolster links in potential fields in the coming time, he said. 

Later the day, NA Chairwoman Ngan received Dinesh Kumar Sarraf, Chairman and Managing Director of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd (ONGC) Videsh, during which Sarraf said he hopes the NA Chairwoman will support ONGC Videsh’s oil and gas projects in Vietnam and cooperation between his firm and the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group.

VNA