Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (right) meets with Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj on August 28. (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA)– There is plenty of room for expanding cooperation in science-technology,culture, tourism, and people-to-people exchange between Vietnam and India, howeverthe two sides should establish appropriate mechanisms to facilitate them, saidPrime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on August 28.
Phuc made the remarkswhile receiving Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj, who is in Hanoi for the16th Meeting of the Vietnam-India Joint Committee on Economic, Commercial,Scientific, and Technological Cooperation.
Vietnam treasures thefriendship and Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with India and hopes todeepen bilateral ties in all areas, the PM said, adding that he highly valuesthe results of the previous meeting between Swaraj and Deputy Prime Ministerand Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh.
He asked Swaraj tohelp maintain the political trust between the two countries and foster Vietnam-Indiacooperation in multiple fields, particularly defence and security – a pillar ofbilateral relations, economics, and trade. He hoped the two sides would go onto discuss ways to reduce trade barriers and that more large corporations fromIndia will be investing in Vietnam in power, renewable energy, and oil and gasexploitation.
He also urged the twosides to closely coordinate and back each other at regional and internationalforums and, at the same time, expressed his support for India’s “Act East” policy.
Vietnam hopes Indiawill support ASEAN’s centrality in regional architecture and speak out for themaintenance of security, safety, freedom of navigation, aviation and trade, including the settlement of disputes via peaceful means onthe basis of international law, the Vietnamese leader said.
Foreign MinisterSushma Swaraj, for her part, said she is impressed with Vietnam’ssocio-economic development in recent years and pleased to see the two nations’Comprehensive Strategic Partnership growing, bringing real benefit to theirpeoples.
India wants to furtherintensify its multifaceted partnership with Vietnam with a special focus oneconomics, trade, investment, science-technology, security-defence, andpeople-to-people exchange, thereby contributing to peace, stability, andprosperity in the region and across the globe. –VNA
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