Vietnam, India Open a New Chapter in Relations: Foreign Minister
	Da Nang to Connect Vietnamese Alumni in India

The ceremony was attended by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of India to Vietnam, Sandeep Arya; Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Do Hung Viet; and representatives from various departments, ministries, branches, and international organizations.

Indian Ambassador to Vietnam Sandeep Arya (left) speaks at the ceremony.

At the ceremony, Ambassador Sandeep Arya stated: "Vietnam is a longstanding and close friend of India." The comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries has flourished across all sectors. Both nations are in favor of creating new economic cooperation opportunities; pinpointing mutual interests to boost investment in areas such as infrastructure, energy, and transportation. Tourism collaboration has also seen a positive uptick due to a rise in direct flights. There is active cooperation between the nations in innovation, technology, education, Buddhism, culture, and heritage conservation, said the Ambassador.

Ambassador Sandeep Arya stated that Vietnam and India share a mutual interest and have clear plans to enhance their security and defense relations. He belives that collaboration in this domain will be instrumental in promoting stability across the Indo-Pacific region.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Do Hung Viet, has remarked that Vietnam and India enjoy a strong political trust. Their economic partnership is thriving, with bilateral trade reaching 15 billion USD. Both countries are targeting to double this figure by 2030. Following the launch of the first direct flight in 2019, the number of Indian tourists visiting Vietnam has tripled, approaching 400,000 by 2023. Over the past decade, India has trained nearly 3,000 Vietnamese officials and students in various fields. The two nations share common views on many international issues. India's multi-directional and interconnected foreign policy is in harmony with Vietnam's foreign policy of independence, multilateralization, and diversification .

Deputy Minister Do Hung Viet believes that the bilateral relationship harbors considerable potential for growth. This includes enhancing political trust and defense collaboration, broadening the scope for effective cooperation in economic, trade, and investment sectors, as well as in science, technology, and innovation, alongside fostering people-to-people exchanges.

Delegates attended the celebration of the 78th Independence Day of the Republic of India on the evening of August 16 in Hanoi.

At the event, delegates savored a variety of Indian and Vietnamese dishes, including naan bread, chicken curry, lamb curry, and green sticky rice cakes.

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