Vietnam and India Strengthen Comprehensive Strategic Partnership
On August 1, 2024, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi jointly announced a significant enhancement in the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Vietnam and India. The leaders unveiled a Joint Statement that outlines the key areas for boosting bilateral relations and also announced Vietnam’s decision to join the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI).
Key Highlights of the Enhanced Strategic Partnership
Elevating Political and Strategic Trust: The two leaders emphasized the importance of deepening political and strategic trust between the two nations. This includes increasing frequent exchanges and interactions through various channels such as Party, State, National Assembly, and people-to-people engagements. Both countries are committed to optimizing bilateral cooperation mechanisms and effectively implementing the 2024-2028 Action Program. This program focuses on expanding cooperation in 11 areas, covering both traditional and new sectors.
Strengthening Defense and Security Cooperation: The partnership will also see an expansion in defense and security cooperation. This includes the effective implementation of the Joint Statement on Vietnam-India Defense Partnership, which aims to guide relations until 2030.
Boosting Economic and Trade Relations: Vietnam and India have set an ambitious goal to double bilateral trade and investment within the next 3-5 years. Both leaders agreed on a vision for more substantial and effective economic cooperation, ensuring that trade and investment flow more freely and efficiently between the two nations.
Advancing Scientific and Technological Collaboration: Both countries are keen to make scientific and technological innovation a major driving force in their relationship. They plan to leverage the Fourth Industrial Revolution to advance cooperation in fields such as scientific research, nuclear energy, rare earths, renewable energy, and emerging technologies like semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and cloud computing.
Enhancing Cultural and People-to-People Exchanges: The partnership will also focus on strengthening cultural, tourism, and people-to-people connections. The two nations aim to deepen their cultural, civilizational, historical, and religious ties, using these connections as a foundation to enhance mutual friendship and exchanges.
Regional and Global Cooperation: Both countries reaffirmed their commitment to a peaceful and stable maritime environment in the South China Sea. They agreed to resolve disputes through peaceful means based on international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). They will continue to work together to ensure that the South China Sea remains a zone of peace, stability, friendship, cooperation, and development.
Vietnam’s New Initiatives
In conjunction with these agreements, Vietnam will soon finalize its participation in the International Solar Alliance (ISA), a global initiative led by India. Additionally, the two countries will establish a Deputy Minister-level Economic Diplomacy Consultation to further facilitate cooperation.
This visit has been marked by the signing of several crucial cooperation documents in defense, diplomacy, justice, culture, healthcare, scientific research, and human resource training, along with numerous economic, trade, and investment agreements between businesses.
Through these developments, Vietnam and India are set to strengthen their bilateral relations, creating new opportunities for collaboration and mutual growth in various sectors.
