Vietnam and India boost traditional friendship, partnership framework

Thang, who is also director of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, and chairman of the Central Theoretical Council of Vietnam, had meetings with Vice President and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha (Upper House) Jagdeep Dhankhar, General Secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Tarun Chugh, Acting General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) Prakash Karat, and General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (CPI) Doraisamy Raja.

He also exchanged views with leaders of the Indian Council for World Affairs and the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA) and witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics and the Indian Institute of Public Administration.

Receiving Thang at a meeting, Indian Vice President and Upper House Speaker Jagdeep Dhankhar welcomed Thang’s visit and the results of his meetings with India’s leading agencies aimed at strengthening the partnership framework between the two countries in the new context, especially following the state visit to India in August 2024 by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. He also acknowledged Vietnam’s prioritization of strengthening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with India.

The leaders of Indian political parties emphasized the importance of India’s longstanding friendly relations with Vietnam, noting that the ties founded by President Ho Chi Minh of Vietnam and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru of India have been nurtured by successive leaders and citizens of both countries. They also praised Vietnam’s achievements in socio-economic development, especially in poverty reduction and social welfare, which serve as a model for India, given its large population and challenges with poverty and inequality.

They stressed the importance of strengthening ties with the Communist Party of Vietnam and acknowledged the shared foreign policy goals of both sides, particularly their commitment to peace, cooperation, and multilateralism. They also reiterated India’s standpoint of strengthening relations with Vietnam in its Act East policy, as well as its support for resolving disputes in the East Sea through peaceful means, based on international law, particularly the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Thang for his part expressed Vietnam’s gratitude for India’s support during the COVID-19 pandemic, including providing vaccines, and for helping Vietnam recover from Typhoon Yagi. He also commended India’s growing role in regional and global security as a superpower in science-technology and innovation.

Thang briefed his hosts on Vietnam’s recent achievements, particularly in its Doi Moi (Renovation) process, and highlighted the country’s strategic goals for a new era of national development. He emphasized the common development philosophies and policy orientations shared by Vietnam and India, particularly the people -centered approach focused on national and ethnic interests.

The two sides also discussed ways to expand cooperation in defense and security and other field between the two countries.