President Tran Dai Quang meets with Speaker of the Lower House of India’s Parliament Sumitra Mahajan in New Delhi on March 3 (Photo: VNA)
New Delhi (VNA) – President Tran Dai Quang met with Speaker of the Lower House of India’s Parliament Sumitra Mahajan, Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj and former President of the Indian National Congress Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi on March 3.
The meetings formed part of President Quang's State visit to India from March 2-4.
Meeting with Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, President Quang asked the legislative agencies of Vietnam and India to enhance cooperation, especially organizing mutual high-level visits, promote exchanges between their committees, parliamentary friendship groups, and people’s friendship organizations.
Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said she is impressed with Vietnam’s attainments in national development, affirming that she will continue cooperating closely with the National Assembly of Vietnam to help tighten bilateral connections.
Talking to Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj, the Vietnamese leader congratulated India on its diplomatic achievements while highly valuing the two foreign ministries’ role in bolstering their countries’ ties.
He asked the Indian ministry to promote high-ranking visits between the countries, maintain bilateral cooperation mechanisms, and speed up the signing of cooperation documents and implementation of the signed agreements by Indian ministries and sectors.
[Infographics: Vietnam-India comprehensive strategic partnership]
Minister Swaraj said her country welcomes President Quang’s State visit, which she said demonstrates the traditional friendship between the two countries. She pledged to work with the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs to foster bilateral relations.
At the meeting with former President of the Indian National Congress Sonia Gandhi, President Quang emphasised that Vietnam and India boast a long-standing friendship, which was founded by late President Ho Chi Minh and late Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and has been nurtured by generations of the countries’ leaders and people.
"Vietnam always keeps in mind the precious assistance that the Indian people, including the Indian National Congress, gave to its struggle for national liberation in the past and the national development at present," she said, asking the party to continue supporting the Vietnam-Indian comprehensive strategic partnership.
Sonia Gandhi noted the Indian National Congress always treasures and supports the time-honoured friendship between the two countries.
Later on March 3, President Quang and his spouse attended the opening ceremony of the Vietnamese culture days in India. The event is part of a series of activities marking the 45th founding anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties. It is also an activity concluding the Vietnam-India Friendship Year 2017.-VNA
