The Vietnamese leaders and people are determined to further cement the friendship and solidarity with India.

Le Hong Anh, a Politburo member and standing member of the Secretariat of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, made the remarks on October 21 at a reception for Indian guests who are in Hanoi to attend the sixth Vietnam-India people’s friendship festival.

Vietnam wants to continuously strengthen and deepen its strategic partnership with India in the coming time, for the interests of both peoples as well as for peace and prosperity in the region and the world, he stressed.

Anh described the people’s friendship festival, which opened the same day, as a contribution to consolidating the traditional friendship, built up by late President Ho Chi Minh and late Prime Minister G. Nehru, and promoting cooperation between the two nations in the new period.

He thanked the Indian Government and people for their valuable solidarity and assistance to Vietnam ’s past struggle for national independence and current national development.

On behalf of the Indian delegation, Vice President Devi Prasad Tripathi and General Secretary Pallab Sengupta of the All-India Peace and Solidarity Organisation (AIPSO) said they admire the great renewal achievements reaped by the Vietnamese people.

They affirmed that Indian people strongly support the development of the two countries’ strategic partnership.

They pledged to do their utmost to promote cooperation and exchanges between the two peoples, making practical contributions to cementing the friendship and expanding the cooperation between Vietnam and India.-VNA