During a meeting at the Presidential Palace in New Delhi on 6/5, General Secretary and President To Lam affirmed Vietnam's consistent policy of prioritizing its relationship with India. Vietnam supports India's expanded role in regional and international multilateral forums, backing India's efforts to advance its 'act east' policy and strengthen connections with ASEAN countries.

The 'act east' policy is a foreign strategy announced by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, aimed at enhancing economic, strategic, and cultural ties with countries in Southeast Asia and East Asia.

President Droupadi Murmu expressed delight at the elevation of Vietnam-India relations to an 'enhanced comprehensive strategic partnership', coinciding with the 10th anniversary of their comprehensive strategic partnership.

The Indian President stated that strengthening relations will bring practical benefits to the people of both nations, citing a healthcare cooperation document that will help deliver high-quality, affordable medical products to consumers.

General Secretary and President To Lam met with Indian President Droupadi Murmu in New Delhi on 6/5. Photo: TTXVN

Emphasizing India's consistent view of Vietnam as a top important partner in its 'act east' policy and 'indo-pacific initiative', President Droupadi Murmu affirmed the two countries share a long-standing traditional relationship, bound by historical, civilizational, and religious values evident today. Examples include the veneration of Buddhist relics in Vietnam in 2025, which attracted over 15 million visitors, and traces of cultural exchange at Vietnam's My Son sanctuary.

Expressing gratitude for Vietnam's support in expediting the review of the ASEAN - India trade in goods agreement (AITIGA), President Droupadi Murmu noted that over 400 Indian investors are currently operating in Vietnam. She hoped Vietnam would continue to facilitate these investors, in the spirit of the enhanced comprehensive strategic partnership and Vietnamese law, and also encourage Vietnamese investors to invest in India.

General Secretary and President To Lam expressed hope that President Droupadi Murmu would direct attention to these areas of cooperation, specifically instructing relevant Indian agencies to increase the frequency of direct flights to India and remove tariff and non-tariff barriers for Vietnamese goods imported into India.

To build a solid foundation for relations, both sides affirmed their commitment to expanding cultural, religious, people-to-people, and educational cooperation. The Indian President pledged continued support for Vietnam within the framework of Mekong - Ganga cooperation, Indian economic and technical cooperation (ITEC) scholarship programs, and other educational scholarships. She also expressed a desire for more Indian and Vietnamese tourists to visit each other's countries.

Ngoc Anh