Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi co-chair the Vietnam-India Virtual Summit on December 21. (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his Indiancounterpart Narendra Modi exchanged views onwide-ranging bilateral, regional and global issues and set forth the JointVision for Peace, Prosperity and People to guide the future development of Vietnam - India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, during a virtualsummit on December 21.
The leaders reaffirmed their wish to further advance the comprehensivestrategic partnership, and agreed to increase high-level delegation exchangesas well as cooperation mechanisms between the two countries.
They shared the view that the enhanced defence and security ties would be animportant factor to stability in Indo-Pacific. The PMs, therefore, agreed topromote military exchanges and step up collaboration in military industry,using India’s defence packages for Vietnam.
The two sides will share information and cooperate in UN peacekeepingoperations, while tightening their cooperation in security through existingdialogue mechanisms in order to cope with traditional and non-traditionalmaritime security threats and cyber security.
Stressing the link between security and prosperity, the leaders reiterated thesignificance of maintaining peace, stability, security and freedom ofnavigation and aviation in the East Sea, peacefully addressing disputes in linewith international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on theLaw of the Sea, and not using or threatening to use force.
They called for more efforts in fully and effectively realising the Declarationon the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and result-orientednegotiations to soon complete a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) inaccordance with international law, especially the UNCLOS, not affecting legalrights and interests of all countries, including those not engaging in thenegotiations.
The leaders emphasised the importance ofASEAN-India cooperation to maintaining peace, security and prosperity in theregion, and consented to seek new, pragmatic cooperation areas.
The two sides will also intensify multi-lateral and regional collaboration,including in the United Nations, ASEAN-led mechanisms and Mekong Sub-regional cooperation.
The two sides will step up joint efforts inbuilding a strong consensus for early adoption of the Comprehensive Conventionon International Terrorism (CCIT).
The two sides will work towards reliable, efficient and resilient supplychains, and will promote human-centric globalisation. They will strive toachieve the target of 15 billion USD of trade turnover at the earliest and willset higher levels of ambition for bilateral trade based on a concrete plan ofaction and new supply chains located in each other’s country.
Both sides will unceasingly upgrade bilateral economic ties throughfacilitating long-term investment in each other’s economy, boosting jointventures, taking part in new global value chains, encouraging regionale-commerce and enhancing market access capacity.
The two sides will exploit the similarity in goals: India’s digital India andVietnam’s digital society vision, as well as promote cooperation in the fieldsof civil nuclear and space technology, transformation technologies in IT andcommunications, ocean sciences, sustainable agriculture, water resourcesmanagement, comprehensive health care, vaccine and pharmaceuticals, smart urbancentres and start-up.
They will cooperate in new energy, renewable energy and technologies adaptiveto climate change.
India will continue supporting capacity enhancement for Vietnamese localities,including the expansion of India’s Quick Impact Project (QIP) programme withinthe framework of Mekong-Ganga river cooperation and other programmes of theIndian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) and e-ITEC in various areas.
Emphasising the long-lasting connection in culture and history between Vietnamand India, the two sides will inherit and promote study on cultural heritage.Cooperation in cultural heritage conservation will be considered a main pillarin the two countries’ development partnership.
They will also make efforts to promote people-to-people exchange by increasingdirect flights, facilitating travel with the simplification of visa proceduresand tourism promotion.
The two PM expressed their belief that the joint vision will be a basis for anew era in the Vietnam – India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. To realisethe vision, the two sides will revise action programmes for each stage,starting from the 2021-23 period./.
