NA Chairman receives Indian Minister of External Affairs

At the reception (Photo: VNA)

New Delhi (VNA) – National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue hosted a reception in New Delhi for Indian Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on December 17, assuring him that Vietnam always treasures its comprehensive strategic partnership with India.

Hue also lauded India for considering Vietnam a priority in its Act East policy.

He suggested the two foreign ministries work closely together to celebrate the 50th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties next year, continue facilitating high-level exchanges via Party, State, Government, NA and people-to-people exchange channels.

The leader proposed enhancing economic and tourism recovery and development post pandemic, encouraging airlines to soon restore and open more direct flights connecting the two nations’ major cities.

Speaking highly of their close coordination at regional and international forums, especially when the two countries are non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council this year, he wished that India would back Vietnam’s bid for seats at international organisations and agencies.

Jaishankar, for his part, stressed that India attaches special importance to Vietnam’s increasingly improved role in the region and the world, and in ASEAN in particular. He wished that Vietnam would continue serving as a bridge promoting closer linkages between India and ASEAN.

They shared the view that the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership is growing on the five pillars of politics-diplomacy, national defence-security, economy-trade-investment, science-technology, culture-sport and people-to-people exchange. The two countries are actively carrying out the 2021-2023 Action Programme and the Joint Vision for Peace, Prosperity and People adopted in December 2020.

Both sides agreed to step up ties in education-training by increasing India’s scholarships for Vietnam, as well as offer all possible support to energy cooperation, including exploration and exploitation of oil and gas at sea, a field of India’s strength.

On regional and global issues of shared concern, they affirmed that Vietnam and India will continue backing efforts to step up the settlement of disputes via peaceful means in line with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, for the sake of peace, cooperation, stability and development in the region and the world./.