India fires a 21-gun salute to welcome general secretary and president To Lam

Indian President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi co-hosted the welcoming ceremony for General Secretary and President To Lam, featuring a 21-gun salute.

A cavalry escort accompanied General Secretary and President To Lam's vehicle as it entered the Indian Presidential Palace this morning, where a grand 21-gun salute rang out to mark his arrival. Indian President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted General Secretary and President To Lam upon his arrival, according to Vietnam News Agency.

General Secretary and President To Lam shakes hands with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the welcome ceremony. Photo: Vietnam News Agency

General Secretary and President To Lam shakes hands with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the welcome ceremony. Photo: Vietnam News Agency

During the official welcome ceremony, General Secretary and President To Lam, President Murmu, and Prime Minister Modi ascended the ceremonial dais for the flag ceremony and witnessed the parade of the Indian military honor guard.

Indian President Droupadi Murmu (left) and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (right) co-hosted the welcome ceremony for General Secretary and President To Lam on 6/5. Photo: Vietnam News Agency

Following the welcome ceremony, the two Indian leaders invited General Secretary and President To Lam to pose for photographs with Indian students and citizens.

General Secretary and President To Lam is on a state visit to India from 5-7/5. This marks his first visit to India in his new capacity, coinciding with the two countries' 10th anniversary of establishing their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Indian President Droupadi Murmu (left) and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (right) co-hosted the welcome ceremony for General Secretary and President To Lam on 6/5. Photo: Vietnam News Agency

Indian President Droupadi Murmu (left) and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (right) co-hosted the welcome ceremony for General Secretary and President To Lam on 6/5. Photo: Vietnam News Agency

Vietnam and India established diplomatic relations in 1972, which were upgraded to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2016. Over the past decades, bilateral ties have made significant strides across various fields.

Economic and trade cooperation has seen positive growth, with bilateral trade turnover reaching approximately 15-16 billion USD annually in recent years. India is currently among Vietnam's 10 largest trade partners. Two-way investment continues to expand with nearly 500 projects, and there remains significant potential for both nations to achieve breakthrough advancements in cooperation.

Importantly, Vietnam and India are strongly expanding cooperation into new areas such as: science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, clean energy, and satellite data.

General Secretary and President To Lam's visit to India is a clear testament to Vietnam's foreign policy in the new era: independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation and development, multilateralization, diversification of foreign relations, and being a responsible member of the international community.