Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's visit to India is of great significance, creating new momentum and opening a new page in the Vietnam-India relationship, more substantial and profound, with more opportunities.
According to the special correspondent of VNA, in the early morning of August 2, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and the Vietnamese delegation arrived at Noi Bai Airport (Hanoi), successfully concluding the State visit to India from July 31 to August 1 at the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son gave an interview to the press about the significance and outstanding results of the visit. The following is the content of the interview.
- Could you please tell us the significance of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's State visit to India?
Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son: At the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation paid a State visit to India. This is the first visit by a Vietnamese Prime Minister to India since the two countries established a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2016.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh is one of the first foreign leaders that Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited to pay a state visit to India right after his re-election for a third consecutive term. The two countries are looking forward to the important milestone of celebrating 10 years of the establishment of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2026 and 55 years of diplomatic relations in 2027. The visit is of great significance, creating new momentum and opening a new page of more substance and depth, with more opportunities in the Vietnam-India relationship.
In just two days, the Prime Minister had a dense, rich, and diverse working program, with about 25 activities, including talks and meetings with senior Indian leaders and major Indian corporations, and speeches at the Vietnam-India Business Forum and the Indian Council for International Affairs.
The Prime Minister's meetings and contacts with Indian leaders have helped affirm the close friendship and traditional friendship between the two countries, as well as affirm the respect and support that the two countries have for each other in the overall foreign policy of each country.
Indian leaders expressed their deep condolences on the passing of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, an outstanding leader of the Vietnamese people and a close friend of the Indian people.
During the visit, the leaders of the two countries affirmed the message of further strengthening the Vietnam-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in traditional areas such as defense-security, trade-investment, culture-education and expanding new areas of cooperation in green economy, digital economy, knowledge economy, increasing two-way trade and investment, promoting and deepening cooperation in science and technology.
The visit also helps affirm that Vietnam and India always support each other, are ready to cooperate, and join hands to build peace, stability, cooperation and development in the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean regions.
It can be said that the Prime Minister's visit has become a strong catalyst, affirming the high determination of the leaders of the two countries in bringing the bilateral relationship into a new phase, stronger, more practical and effective, with deeper trust, and more open opportunities.
- Could the Minister please tell us about the outstanding results of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's State visit to India?
Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son: The visit was a great success, achieving the set goals with specific and practical results, meeting the concerns and expectations of both sides. The two sides issued a Joint Statement on Strengthening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, signed 9 documents in the fields of diplomacy, defense, finance, health, culture, tourism, human resource training, including the Action Program to implement the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for the period 2024-2028.
During the discussion, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indian leaders agreed to strengthen cooperation in the spirit of “Five More,” specifically:
One is higher political-strategic trust. The leaders of the two countries affirmed the importance of further strengthening delegation exchanges and contacts through the Party, National Assembly, Government and local channels, continuing to implement the Distinguished Guest Program between the two sides; at the same time, enhancing the effectiveness of cooperation mechanisms. Vietnam's announcement of its membership in the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) and its affirmation of early completion of procedures to join the International Solar Alliance (ISA), two of India's important global initiatives, have contributed to strengthening trust between the two countries.
Second is deeper defense-security cooperation with the effective implementation of the Joint Statement on Vietnam-India Defense Partnership to 2030, expanding cooperation in maritime security, cyber security, and counter-terrorism. The signing of a $500 million credit package for defense by both sides was a breakthrough during the visit.
Third is more substantial, effective and breakthrough economic, trade and investment cooperation. The two sides aim for a two-way trade turnover of 20 billion USD, doubling two-way investment from now until 2030. Vietnam has asked India to resolve trade barriers, promote Vietnamese products with strengths to the large and potential Indian market such as electronics, textiles, agricultural products; attract large Indian corporations to invest in Vietnam in the fields of infrastructure, pharmaceuticals, energy, etc.
On this occasion, businesses from both countries signed six major contracts on aviation, airports and logistics. Vietjet Air announced a direct flight from Da Nang to Ahmedabad (India), aiming to further increase the number of direct flights between the two countries, currently 54 flights/week.
Fourth, more open cooperation in science and technology and innovation. Accordingly, the two sides agreed to promote cooperation in research and development (R&D), innovation in the fields of core technology, semiconductor chips, artificial intelligence, cooperation in atomic energy, rare earths, expand cooperation in the petrochemical sector, new energy sectors, promote the establishment of joint ventures to produce IT products and cooperate in training IT engineers to meet the development of this industry.
The year is to strengthen cultural cooperation, tourism and people-to-people exchanges. The two sides agreed to soon sign a cooperation agreement on tourism, strive to soon achieve the goal of doubling the number of tourists compared to the present with about 400,000 visitors/year, continue to cooperate in restoring and preserving Cham Tower heritages in My Son, Quang Nam as well as further diversifying forms of people-to-people exchanges.
With the above achievements, I believe that Vietnam-India relations have truly entered a new page. Based on the results of the visit, ministries, sectors, localities, businesses and people all have more opportunities to strengthen cooperation with India./.
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