The first strategic dialogue and fourth political consultative meeting between Vietnam and India took place in New Delhi on Oct 15.

At the meeting, co-chaired by Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Dao Viet Trung and his Indian counterpart, Neelakantan Ravi, the two sides reviewed bilateral relations since the two countries established their strategic partnership in July, 2007.

They also discussed measures to strengthen two-way ties in politics, economics, trade, investment, credit, oil and gas, science and technology, IT, communication, national security, and the educational and cultural sectors.

They agreed to increase high-level the exchange of delegations in future, and to soon organise the 14th joint committee between the two countries in Vietnam to expand and develop the strategic partnership between the two nations.

While discussing regional and international issues of common interest, the two sides expressed their satisfaction with their on-going mutual support at regional and international forums, and pledged to continue working together for ASEAN-India cooperation, and through the East Asia Summit (EAS), the Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC) forum, the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the United Nations (UN).

They also reached an agreement to increase cooperation to contribute to speeding up ASEAN-India cooperation in the context of Vietnam ’s upcoming assumption of the bloc’s chairmanship the ASEAN in 2010.

They agreed to organise the second strategic dialogue and the fifth political consultative meeting in Vietnam in 2010./.