Int’l workshop reviews 45 years of Vietnam – India relations

  

Hanoi (VNA) – An international workshop was held by Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences (VASS) in Hanoi on May 8 to review achievements of the two countries’ diplomatic ties during the past 45 years (1972-2017) and cooperation prospects in the future. 

Vietnam and India have a time-honoured traditional and friendly relationship which was built by mutual trust and understanding as well as sharing of similar values and interests, said VASS Vice President Prof. Dr. Pham Van Duc at the workshop, themed “45 years of Vietnam – India relations: Achievements and Prospects”.

He also noted that 2017 marks 45 years of full diplomatic relations, 10 years of strategic partnership and one year of comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and India. 

Vietnam and India always support each other at international forums and during development process, according to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Xuan Trung, head of Institute for Indian and Southwest Asian Studies.

He also said the bilateral diplomatic and political ties serve as a platform for the development of other cooperation fields between the two nations. 

However, he noted that two-way trade between Vietnam and India has not matched their potential, reaching only 7 billion USD or 2 percent of total Vietnam’s trade and 1.45 percent of India’s trade.  The two countries’ target of having 15 billion USD in trade by 2020 is hard to be reached.-VNA