Joint statement between the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Republic of India

1. At the invitation of H.E. Pratibha Devisingh Patil, President of the Republic of India, H.E. Truong Tan Sang, President of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam and his spouse paid a State visit to India on 11-13 October 2011.

2. President Truong Tan Sang was accorded an official ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhawan in the capital New Delhi on 12th October 2011. President Truong Tan Sang laid a wreath at the memorial to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat; called on the President of India Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil who hosted a Banquet in his honour; held talks with Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh; met with Speaker of the Lok Sabha Smt. Meira Kumar, External Affairs Minister Shri S.M. Krishna, Minister of Defence Shri A.K. Antony and Leader of the Opposition Smt. Sushma Swaraj.

3. During the visit, President Truong Tan Sang visited Bangalore and met the Governor of the state of Karnataka; visited Mumbai and met the Governor of the state of Maharashtra. President Truong Tan Sang met leaders of Indian business enterprises in New Delhi and Mumbai.

4. President Truong Tan Sang and Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh also witnessed signing of Agreements and Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) on bilateral cooperation. 

President Truong Tan Sang and Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh witnessed the signing ceremony. photo: PANO

5. President Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil and Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh congratulated Viet Nam on the success of the 11th National Congress of the Communisty Party of Viet Nam and the elections of the 13th National Assembly. President Truong Tan Sang highly valued the remarkable achievements made by the State, the Government and people of India in all fields in the course of national development which has increasingly enhanced the role and standing of India in the region and the world.

6. The leaders of the two countries exchanged views in an atmosphere of warmth, cordiality and mutual trust on all aspects of bilateral cooperation as well as on the regional and international issues of mutual interest. They welcomed the sustained development of the traditional friendship and strategic partnership between India and Viet Nam. They recalled the glorious contributions of Prime Minsiter Jawaharlal Nehru and President Ho Chi Minh for the development of India-Viet Nam Friendship that had been preserved, nutured and further developed by generations of leaders and people of the two countries and had gone from strength to strength. Both countries agreed to celebrate 2012 as the “Viet Nam - India Friendship Year” to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the full diplomatic relation (07/01/1972 - 07/01/2012) and the 5th anniversary of the establishment of the strategic partnership (06/07/2007 - 06/07/2012). The Indian side would also organize the “Year of India in Viet Nam” in 2012 with a series of cultural events including performing arts, film festivals, and other events in various cities across Viet Nam.

7. Both sides valued and agreed to further enhance high-level visits and meetings between the two countries. The leaders noted that there still remains considerable potential for cooperation and agreed to strongly enhance the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries based on key pillars of politic, defense, security, economic, cultural and H.R.D cooperation. Both sides highly appreciated the results of the 14th Meeting of Joint Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technological Cooperation at the Foreign Minister level, the 5th Political Consultation and the 2nd Strategic Dialogue at the Deputy Foreign Minister level.

8. The leaders agreed to further deepen the strategic partnership, by adding more concrete programs and projects and broadening it to new areas for cooperation, taking into account the changing political and economic situation both at regional and international levels. Both sides agreed to continue strengthening cooperation in the areas of politics, economy, trade and investment, finance, science and technology, human resource development, culture, agriculture, fisheries, aquaculture etc., while striving to expand cooperation into other potential areas such as high-tech science and technology, justice, public health, information and communication, tourism, sports, press, and other areas of mutual interest. The two sides noted with satisfaction the establishment of the India-Viet Nam Business Forum, Advanced Resource Centre in Information and Communications Technologies (ARC-ICT) and the Institute for Indian and South-West Asian Studies under the Viet Nam Academy of Social Sciences. Viet Nam welcomed the announcement of India to establish a Cultural Centre in Hanoi.

9. Both sides noted with satisfaction that the two-way trade had increased steadily in the recent years and the trade deficit of the Vietnamese side had declined. President Truong Tan Sang affirmed that Viet Nam would create favourable conditions for Indian enterprises to invest in the country. Both sides agreed to step up trade and investment linkages, inter-alia by encouraging cooperation between the private sectors. Both sides set a target of US$ 7 billion of bilateral trade by 2015. Both sides welcomed the entry into force of the India-ASEAN FTA in Goods and agreed to work for the early finalization of the India-ASEAN FTA in Services and Investments.

10. The two sides welcomed the further strengthening of cooperation in the fields of defense and security. They expressed satisfaction at the outcome of the 6th Indo-Viet Nam Security Dialogue at the Deputy Defense Minister level and the establishment of a mechanism of biennial dialogue on security issues between the Ministry of Home Affairs of India and Ministry of Public Security of Viet Nam and agreed to work towards the early completion of the Indira Gandhi Hi-tech Forensic Laboratory in Ho Chi Minh City. The Vietnamese side welcomed the offer for training and capacity building of Vietnamese police forces.

11. Both sides welcomed the signing of the Treaty on Extradition, Memorandum of Understanding on the Viet Nam-India Frienship Year 2012, Agreement Viet Nam oil and Gaz Group (Petrovietnam) and ONGC Videsh Limited (ONGC-VL) in Oil and Gaz sector, Work Plan for the years 2011-2013 in the field of Agricultural and Fishery Research and Education, Cultural Exchange Program for the years 2011-2014, Protocol on Cultural Cooperation and agreed to expedite negotiations for early signing of documents of cooperation in other fields as had been agreed in the 14th Meeting of the Joint Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technological Cooperation. The Vietnamese side welcomed the announcement by the Prime Minister of India to double the number of ITEC scholarsahips from 75 to 150 from the year 2012.

12. President Truong Tan Sang highly appreciated the support and assistance of the State, the Government and people of India rendered to Viet Nam in the past years, which was a vivid manifestation of the fine traditional relations of friendship and cooperation between the two countries. The Government of India agreed to extend new Lines of Credit to Viet Nam on favorable terms and conditions for projects in infrastructure, oil and gas, power generation and transmission projects and in other areas as requested by the Vietnamese side; and agreed to consider earmaking a buyer’s credit. 

13. The leaders affirmed their desire and determination to work together for peace and stability in the region and the world, and agreed to further strengthen cooperation at regional and international fora, especially the ASEAN-India and Mekong-Ganga fora as well as in EAS, ASEM, ARF, WTO, UN and the Non-aligned Movement. The Vietnamese side reaffirmed its strong support for India’s Look East Policy and the strengthening of ASEAN–India relationship. The Indian side congratulated Viet Nam for it’s success in fulfilling its role as ASEAN Chair in 2010 and thanked Viet Nam for its support to India’s candidature for permanent membership in an expanded United Nations Security Council and the G4 short draft resolution on reform of UNSC.

14. The two sides stressed the importance of maintaining peace, stability and of ensuring the safety, security and freedom of navigation in the high seas. The two sides agreed that disputes in the East Sea/South China Sea should be settled through peaceful negotiations, without resorting to the threat or use of force by the parties concerned, in accordance with universally recognized principles of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2002 ASEAN-China Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.

15. Both sides agreed to step up cooperation in the field of capacity building, technical assistance and information sharing between their respective relevant agencies for ensuring security of sea-lanes, including combating piracy, preventing pollution, conducting search and rescue, etc. on sea.

16. The two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation to effectively address the challenges posed by non-traditional security threats such as climate change, environmental degradation, natural disasters, energy security, HIV/AIDS and avian influenza.

17. Both sides also agreed to closely cooperate to promote dialogue and cooperation within the EAS with the aim of promoting peace, stability, development and prosperity in East Asia.

18. The two sides strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and resolved to increase cooperation in the common efforts of the international community in preventing this scourge in a comprehensive manner. Both sides agreed to closely cooperate for an early finalization of a Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism, for which India had presented a draft at the United Nations in 1996.