India -Vietnam Relation

 India Vietnam Relations: 

 

 Development: 

 

 India and Vietnam, with their historical roots in the common struggle for freedom from colonial rule and  struggle for national independence, have traditionally enjoyed close and cordial bilateral relations. Mahatma Gandhi and Ho Chi Minh, who are considered the fathers of the Indian and Vietnamese nations, led the people in the heroic struggle against colonialism in these two countries.  

 Jawaharlal Nehru was one of the first visitors to Vietnam after the victory against the French at Dien Bien Phul in 1954. President Ho Chi Minh visited India in February 1958. President Rajendra Prasad visited Vietnam in 1959. Vietnam is an important regional partner in the Southeast. . Asia.  India and Vietnam  closely cooperate in various regional forums such as ASEAN, East Asia Summit, Mekong Ganga Cooperation, Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM) apart from UN and WTO. 

  India chaired the International Control Commission  (ICSC), which was set up under the Geneva Accords of 1954 to facilitate the peace process in Vietnam. 

  India initially maintained consular relations with the then North and South Vietnam and later established full diplomatic relations with a unified Vietnam on 7 January 1972. 

  India granted most favored nation status to Vietnam in 1975, and both countries signed a bilateral trade agreement in 1978 and a bilateral investment promotion and protection agreement (BIPPA) on  March 8, 1997. 

 Relations strengthened when India launched the Look East policy in the early 1990s,  with the specific goal of economic integration and political cooperation with Southeast Asia and East Asia.  Relations between the two countries were elevated to the level of "strategic partnership" during Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung's visit to India in July 2007. In 2016, during Prime Minister Modi's visit to Vietnam, the bilateral relationship was further elevated to " comprehensive". Strategic partnership". 

 India and Vietnam have adopted a historic "Shared Vision for Peace, Prosperity and People" to guide the future development of bilateral relations in 2020. 

  India and Vietnam are members of the Mekong-Ganges Cooperation, which was created to develop  close ties between India and  Southeast Asian countries. 

 Vietnam  supported India's bid to become a permanent member of the UN Security Council and join the Indo-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC).  Areas of cooperation: 

 

 India and Vietnam cooperate in various fields, which include strategic, economic, defense, science and technology, aid and capacity building, culture and people-to-people interaction. 

 Strategic Partnership: 

Both countries seek to strengthen their strategic partnership based on India's Indo-Pacific  Initiative (IPOI) and ASEAN's Indo-Pacific Vision with a focus on common security, prosperity and growth of the region. 

  Institutionalized mechanisms:

 The meeting of the joint commission at the level of foreign ministers and the consultations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) create a framework for bilateral cooperation. Mechanisms such as the Secretary of Defense and Security Dialogue, the  Joint Committee on Science and Technology, the Joint Working Group on Training Exchanges, and the Joint Subcommittee on Trade are also available. 

 Economic Cooperation: 

Trade and economic relations have improved significantly, especially after the signing of the ASEAN-India Free Trade Agreement. The main areas of cooperation are the clothing and textile industry, pharmaceuticals, agricultural products, leather and footwear, and the machinery industry. 

 According to  data for India's fiscal year from April 2021 to March 2022, bilateral trade grew 27 percent to $14.14 billion. 

 India's exports to Vietnam were US$6.70 billion (34% growth), while India's imports from Vietnam were US$7.44 billion (21% growth). 

 Defense cooperation: 

Defense cooperation has become an important pillar of  strategic partnership. This includes capacity building, joint maritime exercises, friendly port visits, training, cooperation in defense research and development and  exchange of defense personnel. The two countries signed a common vision for the  India-Vietnam Defense Partnership till 2030 and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on mutual logistics. 

 Science and Technology: 

Cooperation in the field of science and technology is emphasized, as reflected in memoranda of understanding on the exploration and use of outer space, IT cooperation, cyber security and nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. Agreements were reached on agricultural research and the Advanced Resource Center for Information and Communication Technology (ARCICT) was inaugurated in Hanoi. 

 Aid and Capacity Building: 

India has provided Lines of Credit (LoCs) to Vietnam on concessional terms  for development projects. Scholarships are offered to Vietnamese students under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) program. The assistance includes projects such as setting up the  Indira Gandhi High-Tech Crime Lab. 

 Cultural Relations: 

Cultural relations are promoted through events and festivals such as the Buddhist Festival - India Days  in Vietnam. The Indian community in Vietnam promotes trade and commerce. 

 People-to-people contacts:

 Both countries have introduced a simplified visa system to promote bilateral tourism. Special initiatives were organized for the benefit of the Vietnamese, such as artificial limb fitting camps in Jaipur under the "India for Humanity" initiative.