CELEBRATION OF THE ITEC DAY 2019 IN DA NANG
To commemorate India-Vietnam partnership under the ‘Indian Technical & Economic Cooperation’ (ITEC) Programme, the Embassy of India celebrated the ITEC Day 2019 at Da Nang City on October 22, 2019. H.E. Mr. Le Trung Chinh, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Da Nang attended the event as Chief Guest. About 200 ITEC alumni in Vietnam and representatives of various Departments and agencies under People’s Committee of Da Nang and adjacent provinces attended the event.
This year marks the 55th anniversary of the ITEC programme, which was instituted on 15th September 1964 as a bilateral programme of assistance of the Government of India. The objective of the programme is to share the fruits of India’s socio-economic development and technological achievements with international community on the basis of partnership and cooperation for mutual benefit. India’s ITEC partnership with Vietnam dates back to the 1970s. With over 200 slots presently offered on an annual basis, Vietnam is today one of the largest recipients of India’s ITEC scholarships. ITEC has been an important vehicle to promote our development cooperation and human resource development in various fields in Vietnam.
Speaking on the occasion, H.E. Mr. Le Trung Chinh, Vice Chairman of People’s Committee of Da Nang expressed his appreciation for the important role that ITEC has played over the years in capacity building in Vietnam in general and Da Nang in particular. He called for continued support of India in training of officials and experts from Da Nang City.
In his remarks, Ambassador of India, Mr. Pranay Verma thanked People’s Committee of Da Nang and Vietnam-India Friendship Association of Da Nang (VIFAD) for their support in successful organization of the event and their important role in promoting the ITEC programme in Vietnam. He also spoke about the new initiatives taken by the Government of India through programmes like e-ITEC and 1000 Integrated PhD Fellowships in Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) for ASEAN students. Ambassador described India’s development cooperation with Vietnam as being rooted in the belief that the prosperity and well-being of the two countries and their peoples are interlinked.
The event also saw many of the ITEC alumni present during the event sharing their experiences and fond memories during their stay in India for training under ITEC.
A cultural programme on India’s Mayurbhanj Chhau dance form presented by an Indian contemporary dance group added a colourful finale to the celebrations.
Similar events to celebrate the ITEC Day will be organized by the Consulate General of India in Ho Chi Minh City on 23 October and in Tien Giang province on 24 October 2019.
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Hanoi
22 October 2019
