Remarks by Ambassador Pranay Verma
at the Interactive Meeting with Business Community and Annual Tet Reception
(9 January 2020)
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H.E. Mr. Tran Le Doai , Vice Chairman of People’s Committee of Nam Dinh Province
H.E. Amb Nguyen Hoang Long, Director General, Department of Foreign Affairs for Province, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
H.E. Mr. Saadi Salama, Dean of the Diplomatic Corps
Mr. Ramesh Mohan Anand, Chairman, INCHAM-Ho Chi Minh City
Mr. Indronil Sengupta, Chairman, INCHAM-Hanoi
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen!
I am delighted to welcome you tonight at our annual Tet reception.
This is the twelfth year in a row that the Embassy of India and the Indian Chamber of Commerce have come together to organize such a reception to thank all well-wishers and supporters of India in Vietnam, including from the Government, business community, media, civil society and friendship organisations, and to greet each other a Very Happy New Year!
In the year that just went by, we witnessed continued consolidation of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between India and Vietnam, with a series of events and high-level exchanges. The visit of Vice President of India to Vietnam in May 2019, the meetings of our two Prime Ministers in June and November 2019 on the margins of multilateral events in Osaka and Bangkok, several visits of senior officials from both sides and goodwill visits by a number of our naval ships to Vietnam, were some of the highlights that added new impetus to our ties.
Last year, we also celebrated the 150th birth anniversary of the Father of our Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, and organised a number of events in partnership with the Government of Vietnam to showcase the ideals and messages of Mahatma Gandhi and their enduring relevance.
The launch of direct flights was a significant development in India-Vietnam relations in 2019. Lack of direct connectivity has always kept our engagement from reaching its full potential. We are confident that the direct flights will not only give a boost to tourism exchanges, but also encourage businesses on both sides to work on their complementarities and push the level of our economic ties.
Ladies and Gentlemen!
Our economic and development partnership remains a strategic priority in our bilateral relations. There are several complementaries and areas of immense potential where we continue to strive for long-term collaboration, such as in oil and gas, renewable energy, information technology and telecommunication, infrastructure development, pharmaceuticals and agriculture, to name a few.
It is a matter of satisfaction that our bilateral trade has seen steady growth during the past few years. India is now among the eighth largest trading partner of Vietnam. The trend this year remains broadly similar despite the downward pressure due to the prevailing negative global outlook for international trade.
Ladies and Gentlemen!
This afternoon we organised a “Meet India 2020” event in collaboration with the Ministry of foreign Affairs of Vietnam, and with the support of INCHAM, to specifically reach out to the provinces of Vietnam and to showcase the opportunities that exist for them in engaging with India. Vietnam’s Provinces and India’s States are important stakeholders in our long-term economic and development partnership. Our focus in this New Year will be to promote two-way investments between India and Vietnam with the participation of our States and Vietnamese Provinces.
The year 2020 is an important year for Vietnam, as Vietnam simultaneously assumes the leadership of ASEAN and the membership of the UN Security Council. We are confident that these responsibilities will provide an important platform for Vietnam to make further contributions to global and regional peace, stability and development. India stands ready and looks forward to work closely with Vietnam to help it fully realize the objectives of its twin responsibilities.
In the New Year, we will continue to seek greater synergy in our collaborative efforts to promote our multifaceted engagement with Vietnam, in order to realize the true potential of the excellent political relations we share. I am confident that with our joint efforts, in 2020, the close bonds of friendship between the people of India and Vietnam will become even stronger and our bilateral relations will touch newer heights.
Ladies and Gentlemen!
I extend my warmest TET greetings and wish you all a happy, healthy and prosperous Year of the Mouse! May the New Year bring more good news for our friendship!
Chúc M?ng N?m M?i!
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