New Delhi (VNA) – National Assembly (NA) Vice Chairman Nguyen Duc Hai had working sessions with representatives from the Standing Committee on Finance under the Indian Lok Sabha (lower house) and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations on March 18, within the framework of his visit to India from March 14-19.

At his meeting with Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Finance Bhartruhari Mahtab, Hai highlighted the thriving comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, with cooperation on financial and budget affairs and the development of public financial management policies being one of the important areas of collaboration.

He proposed the committee and the Economic and Financial Committee of the Vietnamese NA further strengthen their specific activities; enhance capacity building; share experience in public debt management and in building laws and policies on raising investment capital, as well as incentive policies for special economic zones; and collaborate on the application of digital technology in the financial and budgeting sectors.

Showing his hope to contribute more to the two countries’ relations, Mahtab stated he is ready to welcome Vietnamese delegations to exchange experiences in the field of tax law building, global minimum tax, and investment incentive policies to attract investments in developing high-tech zones and special economic zones.

Both sides also exchanged experience on digital transformation in the operations of the parliament, aiming to build a digital parliament; and agreed to prioritise the allocation of resources and personnel to implement signed cooperation projects between the two legislative bodies.

Meeting with K. Nandini Singla, Director General of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), Hai hailed the council’s positive contributions to promoting cultural and people-to-people exchanges between Vietnam and India.

He suggested India continue to provide financial support and send experts to implement projects for the restoration, preservation, and rehabilitation of the Cham tower heritage in Quang Nam province; train a team of staff and archaeologists for the restoration of relic sites; and support the construction of the Indochina Buddhist Institute. He also urged the country to back the nomination of the Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son, Kiep Bac heritage complex in Vietnam as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

For her part, K. Nandini Singla proposed that the two countries enhance the organisation of cultural festivals and events in both India and Vietnam to promote the cultural values, and expressed her hope that Vietnam will encourage students to actively enroll in courses sponsored by ICCR in the fields of arts, film, music, Hindi and English languages, and traditional medicine.