A workshop analysing cultural, educational and social affiliation between Vietnam and India was held in Hanoi on June 30.

Organised by the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, the workshop gave insight into the current situation as well as its impacts on international affairs and vice versa.

Major barriers to cooperation, including differences in geopolitics and geo-economics approaches, religion, culture, customs and legal frameworks, came under close scrutiny before participants proposed initiatives and measures to foster the two sides’ collaboration.

According to Professor Ta Ngoc Tan, Director of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, Vietnam and India established bilateral strategic partnership in 2007 and have since achieved positive results in trade, politics, culture, education, science and technology, energy industry, security and defence.

To support their traditional ties and strategic partnership, leaders of the two countries have signed a number of cooperation pacts in remote sensing and enhancing connections in road and air transportation. They also agreed to mount a biennial Vietnam-India friendship festival.

Vietnam has long played an important part in the Indian Look East policy.

Indian Ambassador to Vietnam Preeti Saran emphasised the necessity of educating the younger generation of the two countries on the potential of their relations.

India considers joint cultural and educational activities a foundation of its ties with Vietnam, she said.

On the occasion, the academy’s India research centre launched a book on contemporary India, the first of 100 books gifted by Indian President Pranab Mukherjee during his 2014 Vietnam visit to be published in Vietnamese.-VNA