(VOVworld)- Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung left Hanoi on Thursday for New Delhi to attend a two-day ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit celebrating 20 years of ties between ASEAN and India, one of the group’s dialogue partners. The visit shows Vietnam’s consistent policy of boosting its strategic partnership with India and cooperation with India at international forums.
Under the theme “Partnership for Peace and Shared Prosperity”, the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit will focus on future orientations for the dialogue relationship between ASEAN and India and adopt the Vision Declaration to raise the ASEAN India dialogue relationship to a strategic partnership.
Established in 1992, the ASEAN-India dialogue relationship has over the past 20 years seen positive achievements in many fields, especially economics. The two sides have signed Framework agreements on comprehensive economic cooperation creating a foundation to establish the ASEAN Trade and Investment Area. They have also completed negotiations on the Commodity Trade Agreement and the Agreement on settling ASEAN- India disputes. These are the favorable conditions for India to strengthen investment cooperation with ASEAN’s large market of 600 million people. At the same time, ASEAN can exploit great potential from India as the continent’s second largest economy- to establish the ASEAN community by 2015. In 2009, ASEAN and India agreed to raise two way trade turnover to 70 billion USD this year. Total trade value reached nearly 75 billion USD in 2011.
Nowadays, both ASEAN and India are experiencing rapid growth. This Commemorative Summit is an important event for both who hope to further strengthen bilateral cooperation and friendship to achieve their own targets. Indian Ambassador to Vietnam Ranjit Rae told VOV prior to the summit: “The regional and global context within which we are enhancing our relations is the state of fluidity. New security and economic model are involving in our region and the world. After the sustain focus over 2 decades, India’s “Look East” policy has matured. India sees itself as an inseparable part of the dynamic region. Our strong ties with ASEAN are being celebrated in the first ever India-ASEAN Commemorative Summit organized in New Delhi”
In recent years, Vietnam and India have closely and effectively cooperated within ASEAN cooperation frameworks and at international forums. Indian Congressman, P.K Patasani wrote an article about Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung’s visit to India emphasizing that though Vietnam and India don’t share a common border, both are aware of the importance of promoting cooperation in various fields. Patasani wrote that sharing common interests, both sides wish to boost their strategic partnership. India places a high value on Vietnam’s position in ASEAN and wants to cooperate with Vietnam for a stable, peaceful and dynamic Asia. Ambassador Ranjit Rae says: “The changes in the global geopolitical and economic scenarios have impacted very positively on our overall relationship. Our respective economically reform programs and the global integration of our economies have opened up many opportunities for mutual beneficial cooperation. WE have upgraded our cooperation into a strategic partnership based on our commonality of interests and shared perceptions of global and regional development. Both India and Vietnam share a common vision of an open inclusive and democratic regional and global architecture, where very country can play their rightful role. This could contribute to peace, security and sustainability and facilitate cooperation for the prosperity of our people”
During his India visit, Prime Minister Dung will meet with Indian and ASEAN leaders to enhance ASEAN-India relations and strengthen the strategic partnership of Vietnam and India.
Anh Huyen