Vietnam, India chart new course for joint future development

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc holds online talks with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi. (Photo: VGP)

The Joint Vision Statement on Peace, Prosperity and People reaffirms the two countries’ desire to further strengthen the Vietnam-India comprehensive strategic partnership, contributing to the development of each country and toward building a peaceful, stable, secure, free, open, inclusive and rules-based region.

Both sides will promote military exchange, training and capacity building programs for military services, as well as increasing security cooperation through existing dialogue mechanisms to address traditional and non-traditional security threats.

They emphasize the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security and freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea (known locally as the East Sea), and of settling sea-related disputes according to international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

They maintain that the 1982 UNCLOS sets out a legal framework for all activities in the oceans and seas, calling on parties to fully and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea and soon conclude substantial and effective Code of Conduct in the East Sea in line with international law, especially the 1982 UNCLOS.

Recognizing the importance of ASEAN-India cooperation in maintaining peace, security and prosperity in the region, both sides welcome opportunities to promote practical cooperation between ASEAN and India in all key fields, in line with the goals and principles outlined in the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) and India’s Indo-Pacific Outlook Initiative (IPOI) in order to further promote their partnership in this region.

During talks, the two PMs agreed to soon raise Vietnam-India trade to US$15 billion a year through facilitating trade promotion, minimizing technical barriers, limiting trade remedies, strengthening production chain connectivity and maintaining the stability of regional and global supply chains.

They agreed to expand bilateral cooperation in the fields of energy, science and technology, artificial intelligence, 5G networks, start-up connectivity, among others.

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc thanked the Indian Government for offering non-refundable aid and preferential credit loans, contributing to socio-economic development and cultural heritage preservation in Vietnam.

The two leaders pledged to further strengthen mutual support and coordination at regional and international forums, especially the United Nations when the two countries are non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council next year, as well as in ASEAN-led mechanisms and within the framework of the Mekong-Ganges cooperation.

They witnessed the signing of seven cooperation documents and announcement of three programs in defense, civil nuclear cooperation, oil and gas, clean energy, health care, development cooperation, preservation of heritages and cultural exchanges.