(VOVworld) – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has just concluded his two-day official visit to Vietnam. During the visit, the two countries elevated their Strategic Partnership to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. 

Vietnamese and Indian Prime Ministers at a media conference in Hanoi

The presence of Mr. Modi, the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Vietnam in fifteen years, once again confirms New Delhi’ Look East policy, which considers Vietnam its most important partner in ASEAN. Being upgraded to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, Vietnam-India ties have achieved practical results since the two established their diplomatic relations 45 years ago.

Twelve cooperative agreements were signed in space development, healthcare, information technology, cyber security, and ship building. Prime Minister Modi announced a 500 million USD loan to boost defense ties with Vietnam. Both sides aimed to achieve a two way trade turnover of 15 billion USD by 2020. Prime Minister Modi said: "Vietnam is undergoing rapid development and strong economic growth. And Vietnam seeks to empower and enrich its people, modernize its agriculture, encourage entrepreneurship and innovations, strengthen its technology base, create new institutional capacities for faster economic development, and take steps to build a modern nation. India and its 1.25 billion people stand ready to be Vietnam’s partner and a friend in this journey. Prime Minister and I agreed to make several decisions today to move our partnership. India will be offering a grand of 5 million USD for the establishment of a software plant in the telecommunication university in Nha Trang. The framework agreement on space cooperation would allow Vietnam to join hands with Indian space research organizations to meet its national development objectives.”                                    
 

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said:“Both sides agreed to upgrade bilateral ties from Strategic Partnership to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, to reflect the broadening Vietnam-India relationship, to match the fundamental, lasting interests, and aspirations of the two peoples, and to contribute to peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region and the world. We agreed to increase our coordination at regional and international forums, including ASEAN. We also discussed issues related to the East Sea and reconfirmed our cooperation to maintain peace, stability, security, safety, freedom of navigation and over flight in the East Sea and the Asia-Pacific region. The parties involved need to settle East Sea disputes peacefully, on the basis of international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, and to respect diplomatic and judicial processes."

In 2017, Vietnam and India will celebrate the forty-fifth anniversary of their establishment of diplomatic ties and the tenth anniversary of their Strategic Partnership. Their relationship is entering a new period of practical results and benefits for the two peoples.