Development cooperation is an important pillar of India-Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. During his recent visit to four southern provinces on 22-23 September 2020, Ambassador Pranay Verma visited some iconic projects of India’s long-standing development partnership with Vietnam.
These included the Cuu Long Delta Rice Research Institute in Can Tho established with Indian assistance in 1976 which played an important role in transforming Vietnam into one of the world's largest rice exporters. A large number of scientists at the institute have also been trained in India under the #ITEC and #ICCR scholarship programmes.
Ambassador also visited the Southern Fruit Research Institute (SOFRI) in Tien Giang, where nearly sixty top experts have received higher educational training under the #ITEC and #ICCR scholarships in Indian agricultural institutes over the last four decades. SOFRI's achievements in producing new varieties of fruits and vegetables are widely acclaimed.
India’s indigenous radiotherapy machine Bhabhatron-II installed at the Can Tho Oncology Hospital in 2008 is a fine example of India's development partnership with Vietnam in healthcare. Ambassador visited the hospital to interact with the doctors and took stock of the contribution being made by the radiotherapy facility in cancer care and treatment.
During the visit to Can Tho, Ambassador also presided over the signing of the seven MoUs between Government of India and four southern Provinces — Ben Tre, Hau Giang, Kien Giang and Tien Giang — on 23 September 2020 for development assistance for water resource management projects in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta Region under the Quick Impact Project (QIP) programme.
During the visit, Ambassador also met the then Secretary of the Can Tho Party Committee, H.E. Mr. Tran Quoc Trung and discussed potential for future partnership between Indian provinces and Can Tho in diverse areas, including trade, investment, development cooperation, cultural, academic and people-to-people exchanges.
