Vietnam and India share a long-standing traditional friendship and a high level of political trust. Diplomatic relations were established on January 7, 1972. Since then, bilateral ties have steadily advanced through key milestones, including the Joint Declaration on the Comprehensive Cooperation Framework for the 21st century in 2003, the elevation to a Strategic Partnership in 2007, and the upgrade to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2016. More recently, the two countries adopted the Vietnam - India Joint Vision for peace, prosperity, and people in 2020 and issued a Joint Declaration on strengthening their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2024.
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Party General Secretary and State President To Lam meets Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 23, 2024. |
Over the past decade, the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership has provided a solid foundation for expanded cooperation. High-level exchanges and institutional mechanisms have been maintained effectively, alongside the signing of numerous agreements. Cooperation in education and training has delivered positive outcomes, while defense and security remain a central and strategic pillar. Tourism and people-to-people exchanges continue to grow, and collaboration in science and technology is gaining momentum, particularly in innovation, robotics, startups, atomic energy, and biotechnology.
The peoples of both countries are pleased to witness that the highlights of the traditional friendship, nurtured by President Ho Chi Minh and previous Indian leaders, continue to be preserved and promoted in the current period.
Economic ties have also been strengthened significantly. India is currently Vietnam’s eighth-largest trading partner, while Vietnam ranks as India’s 21st-largest partner and fourth within ASEAN. Bilateral trade has increased 2.5 times since 2016, reaching USD 16.4 billion in 2025, up 10.5% year-on-year. As of March 2026, Indian investors had 503 active projects in Vietnam with the total registered capital exceeding USD 1.1 billion, ranking 26th among 154 countries and territories investing in Vietnam. Vietnamese investors, in turn, have launched 30 projects in India with the total capital of nearly $150.5 million, ranking India 17th among Vietnam’s overseas investment destinations.
This is General Secretary and President To Lam’s second overseas trip following the consolidation of key state leadership positions by the National Assembly, and notably the first visit to India by a Vietnamese leader assuming both roles. It underscores Vietnam’s consistent foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, and multilateralization and diversification of foreign relations, as outlined at the 14th National Party Congress and in Politburo Resolution No.34-NQ/TW, with India and South Asia identified as important partners.
The visit is expected to further strengthen ties between the Communist Party of Vietnam and Indian political parties, while enhancing direct engagement, strategic dialogue, and mutual trust between senior leaders of both countries.
Building on recent achievements and shared understandings reached during this visit, both sides are well positioned to expand cooperation across key areas, including politics and diplomacy, defense and security, trade and investment, technology, green and digital transformation, culture, and tourism.
With its significant historical importance, the visit is expected to reinforce Vietnam - India relations, create new momentum, and elevate bilateral cooperation to a more effective, sustainable, and strategically deeper level.
By Editorial Board of the People’s Army Newspaper
Translated by Tran Hoai