Visiting Indian Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari has praised Ho Chi Minh City as a dynamic and growing city with conditions for cooperation in economics, trade, culture and education.

While meeting with Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Le Hoang Quan, Ansari said his visit aims to review the 2012 Vietnam–India Friendship Year activities and boost the strategic partnership between the two countries.

Ansari expressed his admiration for Vietnam’s policies in poverty reduction, education popularisation and social welfare.

Quan informed his guest of the successful operations of more than 50 Indian business representative offices in HCM City, which according to him, bridge the city and India .

He said he believes Ansari’s visit will further promote the Vietnam-India strategic cooperative partnership, and pledged to do his utmost to foster the two countries’ traditional ties.

Both sides agreed that a direct air route connecting the two countries is needed, saying that the move is critical to the increase of bilateral exchanges in economics, trade, investment, culture and tourism.-VNA