Hanoi (VNA) – Party General Secretary To Lam hosted a reception for Indian Ambassador to Vietnam Sandeep Arya on August 6 in Hanoi, during which the Party chief called for stronger cooperation between the two countries in science-technology, innovation, culture, education, religion, and tourism.
General Secretary Lam congratulated Indian people on the occasion of India's 79th Independence Day (August 15, 1947 – 2025), and praised the remarkable achievements the country has made over the years, particularly in socio-economic development, science and technology, and its increasing position in the region and the world.
He thanked India for its support for Vietnam during the country's struggle for national independence in the past, as well as in its current national construction, affirming that Vietnam values its traditional friendship with India.
The Party leader highly valued the sound development of bilateral relations across fields, affirming that India is one of Vietnam’s leading comprehensive strategic partners in the region.
He emphasised the strong political trust, shared strategic interests, and deep-rooted cultural ties between the two countries as key foundations for advancing their comprehensive strategic partnership more effectively and substantially.
He called on the Indian diplomat to further promote bilateral cooperation, especially delegation exchanges at all levels, effective implementation of existing agreements, defence-security collaboration, economic connectivity, and efforts to raise two-way trade to 20 billion USD and double mutual investment.
He took the occasion to extend his greetings to Indian President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and invite Indian leaders to visit Vietnam at a convenient time.
Ambassador Sandeep Arya thanked the Party chief for his strong support and goodwill toward India and the India-Vietnam relationship. He affirmed that India regards Vietnam as one of its top important partners in the region.
He admired the country’s socio-economic development achievements in recent times, and praised the strategic vision and strong determination of the Vietnamese Party and State in promoting reforms with a new development strategy to usher the country into a new era - that of the nation's rise.
The Ambassador expressed his belief that under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), headed by General Secretary To Lam, Vietnam will achieve its goal of becoming a developed country by 2045.
He briefed the host on the positive developments in the multifaceted cooperation between the two countries in recent times, noting that both sides are working together to implement high-level agreements and the Action Programme for the comprehensive strategic partnership for the 2024–2028 period.
He underscored India's strengths in science and technology, information technology, artificial intelligence, and its willingness to share experience and boost cooperation with Vietnam to achieve shared development goals in the new period.
ꦦ Echoing the views of General Secretary Lam, the diplomat affirmed that India will continue working closely with Vietnamese ministries, sectors, and localities to further promote bilateral cooperation, particularly in key areas such as defence, security, trade, science-technology, people-to-people exchange, education, training, and tourism, aiming to deepen the bilateral relations in line with the potential and political trust between Vietnam and India./.
