Commemorating the 75th Anniversary of India’s Independence Day: Recommitting to Closer India-Vietnam Partnership
- Pranay Verma, Ambassador of India to Vietnam
Today, on 15 August, India celebrates the 75th anniversary of its Independence Day. It was on this day in 1947 that the people of India won freedom from the colonial rule. India’s independence also inspired freedom movements across many nations in Asia and Africa. In the 75 years since then, India has made a remarkable journey from the throes of impoverishment to become a modern, prosperous nation today, governed by the world’s most elaborate Constitution and supported by robust institutions.
Today, India is among the five largest economies in the world. Its capabilities in emerging technologies, innovation and R&D are globally acknowledged. The transformation to a “New India” envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not just about economic growth. It is equally about good governance, people’s empowerment through use of technology, and an inclusive and sustainable development model. The scale of this transformation is creating capabilities and generating demands that offer great opportunities for our partners, including Vietnam.
Prime Minister Modi has envisioned a “self-reliant India” or Aatma Nirbhar Bhaarat – which is self-sustaining and resilient, not by isolating India from the world, but by enhancing India’s capacities at home that can help in meeting global needs. With its size, capability and ambition, India today is an important contributor to the post-pandemic global economic revival, while offering solutions to shared challenges such as pandemics and climate change.
As India celebrates the 75th anniversary of its Independence, India and Vietnam together have reached another important milestone – the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relations. It is an occasion for us to cherish our close friendship and reaffirm our commitment to take this special relationship to newer heights.
As I complete my tenure as the Ambassador of India to Vietnam, I look back with satisfaction at the many forward strides our relations have taken in the last three years. Despite the disruptions caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic, our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership has been constantly enriched by frequent high-level exchanges, deeper economic and development partnership, increasingly robust defence and security cooperation, and growing cultural and people-to-people contacts. Our mutual assistance in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic showcased our long tradition of showing support and empathy to each other during difficult times.
Today, Vietnam is an indispensable part of India’s regional and global worldview. It is a key pillar of India’s Look East Policy and Indo-Pacific Vision. The Joint Vision for Peace, Prosperity and People adopted by our Prime Ministers during their Virtual Summit in December 2020 provides the blueprint for the future development of our multifaceted partnership.
Our businesses and industries are looking at opportunities in each other’s country with greater expectation as they explore new supply chains based on trust and transparency. In 2021, despite the difficulties posed by COVID-19, our bilateral trade for the first time crossed US$ 14 billion mark. Our Development Partnership with Quick Impact Projects are creating community infrastructure which are benefiting local communities in more than 30 provinces of Vietnam and contributing to Vietnam’s Sustainable Development Goals.
Our cultural exchanges have achieved new levels built upon our shared Buddhist heritage and practical cooperation such as archaeological conservation projects in Vietnam. Our people-to-people and tourism exchanges are growing rapidly with new direct flight connectivity between most major cities of India and Vietnam. Popularity of Yoga across the length and breadth of Vietnam is building new bridges between our societies.
Both India and Vietnam, as two aspirational societies with youthful demography, are today increasingly driven by the promise of new technologies, innovation, and digitization to deliver economic growth and people’s empowerment. With India striving to soon become a US$ 5 trillion economy, and with Vietnam aiming at realising the vision of becoming an upper-middle-income country with modern industry by 2030, there are immense opportunities for us to further deepen our cooperation.
As we celebrate the 75th anniversary of India’s Independence Day today, we also recommit ourselves to working ever closely with Vietnam, as one of our closest friends and most trusted partners, to further strengthen our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership aligned with our global visions and national development priorities.
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