“India, one of major powers we never had negative history,” says Vietnam’s deputy foreign minister on enhancing bilateral ties

New Delhi [India], February 23 (ANI): Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Do Hung Viet on Friday said that Vietnam wants to further enhance bilateral economic, trade and investment ties with India, with whom his country already shares a robust and promising relationship.

Speaking to ANI on the sidelines of the third day of the Raisina Dialogue 2024 here, the visiting minister said, “The relationship between the two countries is excellent. We have a traditional linkage which was established by Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Ho Chi Minh. The level of political trust is stronger than ever. India is one of the countries we don’t have a negative history with…”

Accentuating the cultural and religious similarities that bind both countries, the Vietnamese minister said, “We view the world, I think, in a similar way. We are both developing countries, non-aligned countries. We both want to develop our relations.”

Do Hung Viet emphasized India’s unique position among major powers, devoid of any historical conflicts or disputes with Vietnam.

“India is probably one of the major powers that we do not have a negative history with. So the foundation of the relationship is very strong,” he said underlining the absence of war or major conflicts between the two countries.

Do Hung Viet drew parallels between India’s multi-vector foreign policy and Vietnam’s strategy of diversification and multilateralization of relations.

Emphasising the importance of strengthening economic, trade, and investment ties between the two countries, the Vietnamese minister expressed his country’s eagerness to augment its comprehensive strategic partnership with India, particularly in these domains.

“We want to further enhance our bilateral economic trade and investment ties. Being one of Vietnam’s comprehensive strategic partners, India is quite modest in terms of trade and investment relationship with Vietnam…,” the Vietnamese deputy foreign minister said.

Delving into regional dynamics, the visiting minister highlighted mutual aspirations for peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.

He said, “Talking about the Indo Pacific wants peace, stability and prosperity for the region. The vision and approaches we have for this region and the fact that we are upholding international law, multilateral cooperation, and the law of the sea are extremely important to ensure a better future for the region.”

Do Hung Viet reiterated Vietnam’s commitment to enhancing bilateral cooperation with India across various sectors while fostering a shared vision for a peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.

In 2016, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit, Vietnam elevated bilateral relations with India to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

Meanwhile, the Vietnamese minister participated in a discussion this morning on ‘Desecuritising Development: Resilience in the Indo-Pacific’ at the Raisina Dialogue 2024, India’ flagship conference on geopolitics and geoeconomics. The session saw the launch of the report ‘Regional Integration in the Indo-Pacific: Connectivity, Cooperation and New Supply-Chain Linkages’.