Vietnam is an important pillar in India’s “Look East” policy, according to an Indian diplomat.

First Secretary of the Indian Embassy John H. Ruolngul, attending a seminar on business cooperation potential with the southern Asian country in the northern province of Ha Giang on October 24, commented that India is one of Vietnam’s top ten trade partners and its government always prioritises strengthening cooperation with Vietnam both bilaterally and multilaterally.

He claimed that trade cooperation has become a particularly essential mainstay in the two countries’ bilateral strategic partnership, with both being fast-growing economies in Asia.

Within the cooperation framework agreed between India and ASEAN, the Indian government has set up a fund to support fast developing projects, under which it has pledged 25,000 USD for building schools in Ha Giang province. The project is expected to start in early 2014.

The seminar’s organising board also provided information on Indian businesses who wish to invest in Vietnam.

Local enterprises from 28 northern provinces introduced the potential they could offer to Indian partners.

Over several years Vietnam-India two-way trade has continuously increased.

In 2007, Vietnam’s export value to India reached 179 million USD. The figure jumped to 1.778 billion USD in 2012 and 1.835 billion USD in the first nine month of 2013.

By September this year, India had 73 valid projects worth 253.2 million USD in Vietnam, ranking 28 out of the 92 countries and territories investing in the Southeast Asian country.-VNA