Vietnam and India on November 20 issued a Joint Statement on theoccasion of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam NguyenPhu Trong’s State visit to India.
The following is the full text of the Joint Statement.
1. At the invitation of H.E. Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of theRepublic of India , H.E. Mr. Nguyen Phu Trong, General Secretary ofthe Communist Party of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam paid a Statevisit to India from 19-22 November, 2013.
2. The General Secretary called on the President of India H.E. ShriPranab Mukherjee and met Vice President H.E. Shri Hamid Ansari andSpeaker of the Lok Sabha H.E. Smt Meera Kumar. Prime Minister held talkswith the General Secretary and hosted a banquet in his honour. ExternalAffairs Minister H.E. Shri Salman Khurshid and leaders of Indianpolitical parties met the General Secretary separately. The GeneralSecretary was accorded a ceremonial reception at the Rashtrapati Bhawanand he laid a wreath at the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat.
3. The General Secretary also visited Mumbai wherehe met the Governor of the state of Maharashtra and interacted withthe Indian business community.
4. Theleaders noted that India and Vietnam had common objectives ofinclusive growth and socio-economic development and affirmed that theyshared a common vision to meet the aspirations of the peoples of bothcountries. They also noted that both countries faced similar challengesposed by global economic recession, the menace of terrorism and otherissues confronting the international system. The Prime Ministerreaffirmed that Vietnam was a pillar of India 's Look East Policy,which was supported by the General Secretary. They envisaged a moreactive role for India in the regional and international arena.
5. The leaders recalled the greatcontributions of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and President Ho ChiMinh to the development of India - Vietnam friendship, which wasfurther nurtured by subsequent generations of leaders and peoples ofboth countries. They expressed satisfaction that regular consultationsat all levels had helped consolidate and expand bilateral ties.
6. The leaders expressed satisfaction at thesuccess of the "India - Vietnam Friendship Year" held in 2012 thatcelebrated the 40th anniversary of establishment of full diplomaticrelations and the 5th anniversary of the Strategic Partnership betweenthe two countries. The numerous events organized by both countriesraised awareness among the people of both countries about thecivilisational linkages between India and Vietnam and the scopefor future collaboration in the contemporary world.
7. The leaders emphasized that India - Vietnam relationship was atime tested friendship, characterised by shared interests, mutual trustand multi-dimensional cooperation. In view of the convergence onstrategic interests, they agreed to further strengthen and deepen theStrategic Partnership between the two countries. This would contributeto peace, stability and prosperity in the Asia Pacific region andbeyond.
Strategic engagement
8. High level visits in recent years by the Indian President in 2008,Vice President in 2013, Prime Minister in 2010 and Speaker of Lok Sabhain 2011, and the Vietnamese President in 2011, Vice President in 2009,Chairman of National Assembly in 2010 and Prime Minister in 2012reflected the importance attached to the strengthening of bilateral tiesby both sides. The leaders decided to reinforce high level politicalinteractions by enhancing the frequency of bilateral visits and meetingsin the margins of regional and multilateral events.
9. The leaders welcomed the agreements and the substantive Action Planadopted at the 15th Joint Commission Meeting in New Delhi on 11July, 2013 and commended the important contributions made by otherexisting bilateral mechanisms for consolidating and expanding therelationship.
10. The leaders welcomedthe decision to establish exchange of visits under the DistinguishedVisitors Programme between the Ministry of External Affairs of India andthe Commission for External Relations of the Communist Party of Vietnamto strengthen mutual understanding in the fields of governance, publicpolicy, challenges of development and inclusive growth.
11. The leaders agreed that defence cooperation was a significantpillar of the strategic partnership between the two countries. Theleaders welcomed the regular defence dialogue, training, exercises, Navyand Coast Guard ship visits, capacity building, exchange of think tanksand other exchanges between relevant agencies of the two countries inrecent years. The utilization of the Line of Credit in the field ofdefence would further strengthen defence cooperation. The leadersrecommended that both sides continue to work closely on suitable termsand conditions for the Line of Credit of US$100 million in the field ofdefense to augment the momentum already created. Both sides welcomed thesigning and implementation of the Arrangement on Protection ofClassified Information between the two countries and the understandingon training of naval and air force personnel of Vietnam , currentlyunder implementation.
12. The leadersreiterated their desire and determination to work together to maintainpeace, stability, growth and prosperity in Asia . They agreed thatfreedom of navigation in the East Sea/South China Sea should not beimpeded and called the parties concerned to exercise restraint, avoidthreat or use of force and resolve disputes through peaceful means inaccordance with universally recognized principles of international law,including the UNCLOS. They also welcomed the collective commitment ofthe concerned parties to abide by and implement the 2002 Declaration onthe Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea and to work towards theadoption of a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea on the basis ofconsensus. They called for cooperation in ensuring security ofsea-lanes, maritime security, combating piracy and conducting search andrescue operations.
13. The leaders notedthat cooperation had strengthened on security and law enforcementissues. They welcomed the signing of the Treaty on Transfer of SentencedPrisoners. They also welcomed the entry into force of the ExtraditionTreaty signed between the two countries. They instructed relevantdepartments on both sides to focus on sharing of information andexperience in combating organized crime, illicit arms and drugtrafficking. They welcomed the signing of the MoU on establishment ofthe India-Gandhi High-tech Crime Laboratory in Hanoi , Vietnam andcalled for early realisation of the project. The Indian side agreed tocontinue assisting Vietnam in its efforts at training and capacitybuilding and modernization efforts of the Vietnamese Police.
14. The leaders strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms andagreed to increase cooperation in the fight against this global scourge.Both sides also agreed to further strengthen cooperation for an earlyconclusion of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism,for which India had presented a draft at the United Nations.
15. The leaders agreed to strengthen cooperationand coordination to effectively address the challenges posed bynon-traditional security threats such as climate change, environmentaldegradation, energy security, food and water security, HIV/AIDS andavian influenza.
16. The leaders decidedto broaden bilateral cooperation in areas such as space technology,natural resource management and use, disaster management and mitigation,weather forecasting, oceanography, hydrology, meteorology,nanotechnology and civil nuclear cooperation. They instructed relevantauthorities on both sides to work towards early completion of theproject to establish a satellite tracking, data reception and processingcentre in Ho Chi Minh city under India-ASEAN Cooperation and agreedthat both sides will explore new areas such as launching of Vietnamesesatellites using Indian launch vehicles and assistance in setting up ofearth observation centre in Vietnam.
Economic partnership
17. The leaders agreed that enhancing the economic partnership was oneof the main components of the strategic partnership between the twocountries. They welcomed the outcome of the first meeting of the India- Vietnam Sub-Commission on Trade held in New Delhi on 18 November,2013. They noted with satisfaction the steady growth in bilateraltrade, which on way to meet the target of 7 billion USD by 2015. Theynoted that favourable conditions should be created for further boostingbilateral trade to 15 billion USD by 2020 and for promoting mutualinvestments especially in the areas of education, infrastructure,hydrocarbons, power generation, new and renewable energy, agriculture,textiles, information technology, and pharmaceuticals. The leaders alsoagreed to work for the early signing and implementation of theIndia-ASEAN FTA in Services and Investments to build on the momentumcreated by India-ASEAN FTA in Goods. They also agreed work together forearly realisation of RCEP so as to facilitate India 's integrationinto the ASEAN Economic Community.
18. TheVietnamese side welcomed new investments by Indian companies in oil andgas upstream and downstream projects in Vietnam . The leaders notedwith satisfaction that Vietnam 's Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) hasoffered new areas to India for oil and gas exploration.
19. Both sides welcomed and committed to facilitate the opening ofbranch offices by their commercial banks in each others' countries, inaccordance with the laws of the host country, universally recognizedprinciples of international trade as well as bilateral commitments. Theyexpressed satisfaction with the cooperation between the Ministries ofFinance and Customs Departments of the two countries.
20. The leaders encouraged cooperation between the private sectors ofboth countries and reaffirmed their support to the Vietnam-IndiaBusiness Forum and the activities of the chambers of commerce andindustry of both countries. The Vietnamese side also agreed to activelysupport the "ASEAN - India Business Council".
21. The leaders welcomed and supported Tata Power to participate as thedeveloper of the 1320 MW Long Phu 2 power project. This would be thelargest Indian investment in Vietnam and would act as a forerunnertowards greater investment flows from India .
22. The leaders decided to strengthen physical connectivity throughland, sea & air transport between India and Vietnam . Theywelcomed the signing of the Air Services Agreement that would promotecooperation in the civil aviation sector. They welcomed the signing ofthe bilateral Maritime Shipping Agreement and proposed to initiatediscussions, at the official level, on a sub-regional shipping agreementbetween India and CLMV countries. They highlighted the importanceof extension of the road connectivity between India and Vietnam andwelcomed India 's suggestion to discuss soft infrastructurerequirements to facilitate seamless movement of goods and servicesacross economic corridors and initiation of discussions on anASEAN-India Transit Transport Agreement (AITTA), to be concluded by end2015.
23. The leaders highlighted theimportant contribution of capacity building and development partnershipprojects such as the establishment of a Vietnam-India English Language,IT training Centre at the National Defence Academy in Hanoi , theVocational Training Centre in Ho Chi Minh City and theoperationalization of the High Performance Computing Facility at HanoiUniversity of Science and Technology. They also agreed to expedite newprojects involving Lines of Credit from India . The Vietnamese sidewelcomed the establishment of the India-CLMV Quick Impact Projects(QIPs) Fund under which short gestation projects would be undertakenwith grant assistance from India , to directly benefit localcommunities in a visible and immediate manner in areas such aseducation, health, sanitation and community development.
24. The leaders noted the strong cooperation in agriculture andrelated fields and agreed to further deepening of cooperation inresearch and development in agriculture, fisheries, aquaculture, animalhusbandry and dairy. They called for an early convening of theIndia-Vietnam conference on Agriculture between the Indian Council forAgricultural Research (ICAR) and the Vietnam Academy of AgricultureSciences (VAAS) and highlighted the immense scope for furthercollaborations. They welcomed the establishment of a Pangasius breedingfarm in India in cooperation with Vietnam . They agreed to promoteinformation exchange and research in Early Mortality Syndrome in shrimpindustry.
25. The leaders noted withsatisfaction the signing of the Programme of Cooperation in Science andTechnology for 2013-14. Both sides also welcomed the Program ofCooperation between the Ministry of Science and Technology of Vietnamand the Department of Biotechnology of India .
Cultural and people-to-people contacts
26. The leaders agreed to deepen friendly exchanges, people to peoplecontacts and cooperation in the fields of culture, archaeology,conservation, museology, tourism, public health, sports, education andmedia. They welcomed early establishment of sister-city relationsbetween Mumbai and Ho Chi Minh City . The Vietnam side welcomed thedecision to open an Indian Culture Centre in Hanoi to promoteexchange of artists and troupes, holding of film festivals, exchangesbetween the youth and other cultural activities.
27. The leaders called for early signing of the MoU on Conservationand Restoration of Cham monuments by the Archaeological Survey of Indiaat My Son heritage site in Vietnam .
28. The leaders noted with satisfaction outcome of the 2nd meeting ofthe Joint Working Group on Educational Exchange for cooperation betweenuniversities and academia, in particular the proposal for introductionof the Indian Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) curriculum inVietnamese schools.
Cooperation in regional and international fora
29. The leaders noted the growing role of both countries in regionalaffairs and agreed to further strengthen cooperation at regional andinternational fora, especially in the ASEAN, the East Asia Summit (EAS),the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), the ASEAN Defence Ministers' MeetingPlus (ADMM+), the Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum (EAMF), the Asia-EuropeMeeting (ASEM), the Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC), the World TradeOrganization (WTO), the United Nations and the Non-aligned Movement. Theleaders highlighted that their cooperation was in keeping with thecommon desire and determination of both sides to work together forpeace, prosperity and stability in the region and the world.
30. India expressed its appreciation for Vietnam 's continuedsupport for India 's permanent membership in an expanded UN SecurityCouncil. The Indian side reaffirmed its support for Vietnam 'scandidature for the United Nations Security Council non-permanentmembership for the term 2020-21 and the Vietnamese side expressedreciprocal support for India 's candidature for the United NationsSecurity Council non-permanent membership for a subsequent term.Vietnam also expressed support for India 's membership of the HumanRights Council for the term 2015-17. The Vietnamese side expressed itsappreciation for India 's support to its application for membershipof the International Hydrographic Organization. The Indian sideexpressed appreciation for Vietnam 's support for its re-election tocategory-II seat in the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)Council.
31. The leaders welcomed thesigning of a number of bilateral agreements and MoUs during the visitand called on relevant departments to initiate steps for earlyimplementation of these agreements fully. The documents signed duringthe visit included: Air Service Agreement, MOU for setting up of theIndira Gandhi Hightech Crime Lab in Hanoi, Agreement on Protection ofClassified Information, MoU between two Ministries of Finance,Cooperation Agreement between Hanoi National University and IndianCouncil for Scientific and Industrial Research, MoU on Cooperationbetween India Institute of Management (IIM) Bangalore and HCM NationalAcademy of Public Administration, MoU between Vietnam Oil and Gas Groupand ONGC Videsh Limited(OVL), and MOU between Vietnam Ministry ofIndustry and Trade and Tata Power Ltd. on development of Long Phu 2Thermal Power Project in Soc Trang, Vietnam.
32. The interaction between the two leaders was warm, cordial andfriendly. General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong expressed his gratitude tothe Government and the friendly people of India for the warm receptionand hospitality accorded to him and the accompanying delegation duringhis State visit to the Republic of India . General Secretary NguyenPhu Trong extended an invitation to Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singhto visit Vietnam at a mutually convenient date. The Prime Ministeraccepted the invitation with pleasure. The dates of the visit will befinalised through diplomatic channels.-VNA
The following is the full text of the Joint Statement.
1. At the invitation of H.E. Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of theRepublic of India , H.E. Mr. Nguyen Phu Trong, General Secretary ofthe Communist Party of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam paid a Statevisit to India from 19-22 November, 2013.
2. The General Secretary called on the President of India H.E. ShriPranab Mukherjee and met Vice President H.E. Shri Hamid Ansari andSpeaker of the Lok Sabha H.E. Smt Meera Kumar. Prime Minister held talkswith the General Secretary and hosted a banquet in his honour. ExternalAffairs Minister H.E. Shri Salman Khurshid and leaders of Indianpolitical parties met the General Secretary separately. The GeneralSecretary was accorded a ceremonial reception at the Rashtrapati Bhawanand he laid a wreath at the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat.
3. The General Secretary also visited Mumbai wherehe met the Governor of the state of Maharashtra and interacted withthe Indian business community.
4. Theleaders noted that India and Vietnam had common objectives ofinclusive growth and socio-economic development and affirmed that theyshared a common vision to meet the aspirations of the peoples of bothcountries. They also noted that both countries faced similar challengesposed by global economic recession, the menace of terrorism and otherissues confronting the international system. The Prime Ministerreaffirmed that Vietnam was a pillar of India 's Look East Policy,which was supported by the General Secretary. They envisaged a moreactive role for India in the regional and international arena.
5. The leaders recalled the greatcontributions of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and President Ho ChiMinh to the development of India - Vietnam friendship, which wasfurther nurtured by subsequent generations of leaders and peoples ofboth countries. They expressed satisfaction that regular consultationsat all levels had helped consolidate and expand bilateral ties.
6. The leaders expressed satisfaction at thesuccess of the "India - Vietnam Friendship Year" held in 2012 thatcelebrated the 40th anniversary of establishment of full diplomaticrelations and the 5th anniversary of the Strategic Partnership betweenthe two countries. The numerous events organized by both countriesraised awareness among the people of both countries about thecivilisational linkages between India and Vietnam and the scopefor future collaboration in the contemporary world.
7. The leaders emphasized that India - Vietnam relationship was atime tested friendship, characterised by shared interests, mutual trustand multi-dimensional cooperation. In view of the convergence onstrategic interests, they agreed to further strengthen and deepen theStrategic Partnership between the two countries. This would contributeto peace, stability and prosperity in the Asia Pacific region andbeyond.
Strategic engagement
8. High level visits in recent years by the Indian President in 2008,Vice President in 2013, Prime Minister in 2010 and Speaker of Lok Sabhain 2011, and the Vietnamese President in 2011, Vice President in 2009,Chairman of National Assembly in 2010 and Prime Minister in 2012reflected the importance attached to the strengthening of bilateral tiesby both sides. The leaders decided to reinforce high level politicalinteractions by enhancing the frequency of bilateral visits and meetingsin the margins of regional and multilateral events.
9. The leaders welcomed the agreements and the substantive Action Planadopted at the 15th Joint Commission Meeting in New Delhi on 11July, 2013 and commended the important contributions made by otherexisting bilateral mechanisms for consolidating and expanding therelationship.
10. The leaders welcomedthe decision to establish exchange of visits under the DistinguishedVisitors Programme between the Ministry of External Affairs of India andthe Commission for External Relations of the Communist Party of Vietnamto strengthen mutual understanding in the fields of governance, publicpolicy, challenges of development and inclusive growth.
11. The leaders agreed that defence cooperation was a significantpillar of the strategic partnership between the two countries. Theleaders welcomed the regular defence dialogue, training, exercises, Navyand Coast Guard ship visits, capacity building, exchange of think tanksand other exchanges between relevant agencies of the two countries inrecent years. The utilization of the Line of Credit in the field ofdefence would further strengthen defence cooperation. The leadersrecommended that both sides continue to work closely on suitable termsand conditions for the Line of Credit of US$100 million in the field ofdefense to augment the momentum already created. Both sides welcomed thesigning and implementation of the Arrangement on Protection ofClassified Information between the two countries and the understandingon training of naval and air force personnel of Vietnam , currentlyunder implementation.
12. The leadersreiterated their desire and determination to work together to maintainpeace, stability, growth and prosperity in Asia . They agreed thatfreedom of navigation in the East Sea/South China Sea should not beimpeded and called the parties concerned to exercise restraint, avoidthreat or use of force and resolve disputes through peaceful means inaccordance with universally recognized principles of international law,including the UNCLOS. They also welcomed the collective commitment ofthe concerned parties to abide by and implement the 2002 Declaration onthe Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea and to work towards theadoption of a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea on the basis ofconsensus. They called for cooperation in ensuring security ofsea-lanes, maritime security, combating piracy and conducting search andrescue operations.
13. The leaders notedthat cooperation had strengthened on security and law enforcementissues. They welcomed the signing of the Treaty on Transfer of SentencedPrisoners. They also welcomed the entry into force of the ExtraditionTreaty signed between the two countries. They instructed relevantdepartments on both sides to focus on sharing of information andexperience in combating organized crime, illicit arms and drugtrafficking. They welcomed the signing of the MoU on establishment ofthe India-Gandhi High-tech Crime Laboratory in Hanoi , Vietnam andcalled for early realisation of the project. The Indian side agreed tocontinue assisting Vietnam in its efforts at training and capacitybuilding and modernization efforts of the Vietnamese Police.
14. The leaders strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms andagreed to increase cooperation in the fight against this global scourge.Both sides also agreed to further strengthen cooperation for an earlyconclusion of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism,for which India had presented a draft at the United Nations.
15. The leaders agreed to strengthen cooperationand coordination to effectively address the challenges posed bynon-traditional security threats such as climate change, environmentaldegradation, energy security, food and water security, HIV/AIDS andavian influenza.
16. The leaders decidedto broaden bilateral cooperation in areas such as space technology,natural resource management and use, disaster management and mitigation,weather forecasting, oceanography, hydrology, meteorology,nanotechnology and civil nuclear cooperation. They instructed relevantauthorities on both sides to work towards early completion of theproject to establish a satellite tracking, data reception and processingcentre in Ho Chi Minh city under India-ASEAN Cooperation and agreedthat both sides will explore new areas such as launching of Vietnamesesatellites using Indian launch vehicles and assistance in setting up ofearth observation centre in Vietnam.
Economic partnership
17. The leaders agreed that enhancing the economic partnership was oneof the main components of the strategic partnership between the twocountries. They welcomed the outcome of the first meeting of the India- Vietnam Sub-Commission on Trade held in New Delhi on 18 November,2013. They noted with satisfaction the steady growth in bilateraltrade, which on way to meet the target of 7 billion USD by 2015. Theynoted that favourable conditions should be created for further boostingbilateral trade to 15 billion USD by 2020 and for promoting mutualinvestments especially in the areas of education, infrastructure,hydrocarbons, power generation, new and renewable energy, agriculture,textiles, information technology, and pharmaceuticals. The leaders alsoagreed to work for the early signing and implementation of theIndia-ASEAN FTA in Services and Investments to build on the momentumcreated by India-ASEAN FTA in Goods. They also agreed work together forearly realisation of RCEP so as to facilitate India 's integrationinto the ASEAN Economic Community.
18. TheVietnamese side welcomed new investments by Indian companies in oil andgas upstream and downstream projects in Vietnam . The leaders notedwith satisfaction that Vietnam 's Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) hasoffered new areas to India for oil and gas exploration.
19. Both sides welcomed and committed to facilitate the opening ofbranch offices by their commercial banks in each others' countries, inaccordance with the laws of the host country, universally recognizedprinciples of international trade as well as bilateral commitments. Theyexpressed satisfaction with the cooperation between the Ministries ofFinance and Customs Departments of the two countries.
20. The leaders encouraged cooperation between the private sectors ofboth countries and reaffirmed their support to the Vietnam-IndiaBusiness Forum and the activities of the chambers of commerce andindustry of both countries. The Vietnamese side also agreed to activelysupport the "ASEAN - India Business Council".
21. The leaders welcomed and supported Tata Power to participate as thedeveloper of the 1320 MW Long Phu 2 power project. This would be thelargest Indian investment in Vietnam and would act as a forerunnertowards greater investment flows from India .
22. The leaders decided to strengthen physical connectivity throughland, sea & air transport between India and Vietnam . Theywelcomed the signing of the Air Services Agreement that would promotecooperation in the civil aviation sector. They welcomed the signing ofthe bilateral Maritime Shipping Agreement and proposed to initiatediscussions, at the official level, on a sub-regional shipping agreementbetween India and CLMV countries. They highlighted the importanceof extension of the road connectivity between India and Vietnam andwelcomed India 's suggestion to discuss soft infrastructurerequirements to facilitate seamless movement of goods and servicesacross economic corridors and initiation of discussions on anASEAN-India Transit Transport Agreement (AITTA), to be concluded by end2015.
23. The leaders highlighted theimportant contribution of capacity building and development partnershipprojects such as the establishment of a Vietnam-India English Language,IT training Centre at the National Defence Academy in Hanoi , theVocational Training Centre in Ho Chi Minh City and theoperationalization of the High Performance Computing Facility at HanoiUniversity of Science and Technology. They also agreed to expedite newprojects involving Lines of Credit from India . The Vietnamese sidewelcomed the establishment of the India-CLMV Quick Impact Projects(QIPs) Fund under which short gestation projects would be undertakenwith grant assistance from India , to directly benefit localcommunities in a visible and immediate manner in areas such aseducation, health, sanitation and community development.
24. The leaders noted the strong cooperation in agriculture andrelated fields and agreed to further deepening of cooperation inresearch and development in agriculture, fisheries, aquaculture, animalhusbandry and dairy. They called for an early convening of theIndia-Vietnam conference on Agriculture between the Indian Council forAgricultural Research (ICAR) and the Vietnam Academy of AgricultureSciences (VAAS) and highlighted the immense scope for furthercollaborations. They welcomed the establishment of a Pangasius breedingfarm in India in cooperation with Vietnam . They agreed to promoteinformation exchange and research in Early Mortality Syndrome in shrimpindustry.
25. The leaders noted withsatisfaction the signing of the Programme of Cooperation in Science andTechnology for 2013-14. Both sides also welcomed the Program ofCooperation between the Ministry of Science and Technology of Vietnamand the Department of Biotechnology of India .
Cultural and people-to-people contacts
26. The leaders agreed to deepen friendly exchanges, people to peoplecontacts and cooperation in the fields of culture, archaeology,conservation, museology, tourism, public health, sports, education andmedia. They welcomed early establishment of sister-city relationsbetween Mumbai and Ho Chi Minh City . The Vietnam side welcomed thedecision to open an Indian Culture Centre in Hanoi to promoteexchange of artists and troupes, holding of film festivals, exchangesbetween the youth and other cultural activities.
27. The leaders called for early signing of the MoU on Conservationand Restoration of Cham monuments by the Archaeological Survey of Indiaat My Son heritage site in Vietnam .
28. The leaders noted with satisfaction outcome of the 2nd meeting ofthe Joint Working Group on Educational Exchange for cooperation betweenuniversities and academia, in particular the proposal for introductionof the Indian Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) curriculum inVietnamese schools.
Cooperation in regional and international fora
29. The leaders noted the growing role of both countries in regionalaffairs and agreed to further strengthen cooperation at regional andinternational fora, especially in the ASEAN, the East Asia Summit (EAS),the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), the ASEAN Defence Ministers' MeetingPlus (ADMM+), the Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum (EAMF), the Asia-EuropeMeeting (ASEM), the Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC), the World TradeOrganization (WTO), the United Nations and the Non-aligned Movement. Theleaders highlighted that their cooperation was in keeping with thecommon desire and determination of both sides to work together forpeace, prosperity and stability in the region and the world.
30. India expressed its appreciation for Vietnam 's continuedsupport for India 's permanent membership in an expanded UN SecurityCouncil. The Indian side reaffirmed its support for Vietnam 'scandidature for the United Nations Security Council non-permanentmembership for the term 2020-21 and the Vietnamese side expressedreciprocal support for India 's candidature for the United NationsSecurity Council non-permanent membership for a subsequent term.Vietnam also expressed support for India 's membership of the HumanRights Council for the term 2015-17. The Vietnamese side expressed itsappreciation for India 's support to its application for membershipof the International Hydrographic Organization. The Indian sideexpressed appreciation for Vietnam 's support for its re-election tocategory-II seat in the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)Council.
31. The leaders welcomed thesigning of a number of bilateral agreements and MoUs during the visitand called on relevant departments to initiate steps for earlyimplementation of these agreements fully. The documents signed duringthe visit included: Air Service Agreement, MOU for setting up of theIndira Gandhi Hightech Crime Lab in Hanoi, Agreement on Protection ofClassified Information, MoU between two Ministries of Finance,Cooperation Agreement between Hanoi National University and IndianCouncil for Scientific and Industrial Research, MoU on Cooperationbetween India Institute of Management (IIM) Bangalore and HCM NationalAcademy of Public Administration, MoU between Vietnam Oil and Gas Groupand ONGC Videsh Limited(OVL), and MOU between Vietnam Ministry ofIndustry and Trade and Tata Power Ltd. on development of Long Phu 2Thermal Power Project in Soc Trang, Vietnam.
32. The interaction between the two leaders was warm, cordial andfriendly. General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong expressed his gratitude tothe Government and the friendly people of India for the warm receptionand hospitality accorded to him and the accompanying delegation duringhis State visit to the Republic of India . General Secretary NguyenPhu Trong extended an invitation to Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singhto visit Vietnam at a mutually convenient date. The Prime Ministeraccepted the invitation with pleasure. The dates of the visit will befinalised through diplomatic channels.-VNA
