Party General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm is welcomed by officials and staff of the Vietnamese Embassy in India and representatives of the Vietnamese community in New Delhi on May 5. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

NEW DELHI — General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Central Committee and State President Tô Lâm arrived in New Delhi on Tuesday afternoon, beginning his state visit to India at the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Welcoming the Vietnamese leader and the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation at Indira Gandhi International Airport were Indian Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai, Indian Ambassador to Việt Nam Tshering Wangchuk Sherpa, Vietnamese Ambassador to India Nguyễn Thanh Hải, Vietnamese Consul General in Mumbai Lê Quang Biên, along with officials and staff of the Vietnamese Embassy in India, representatives of the Vietnamese community, and Vietnamese students in the South Asian country.

Vietnamese and Indian officials greet Party General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm as he arrives in New Delhi. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

Across New Delhi, the Indian Government displayed portraits of Party General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm accompanied by bilingual banners warmly welcoming the Vietnamese leader. At the hotel, Indian artists greeted the top Vietnamese leader and the delegation with traditional dances.

Shortly after arriving in New Delhi, Party General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm received Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and met with officials and staff of the Vietnamese Embassy as well as representatives of the Vietnamese community in India.

The visit is an important diplomatic event of special significance. It is the first visit to India by General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm in his new capacity, and takes place at a time when the two countries are preparing to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2026.

The visit also reflects the Vietnamese Party and State's foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, self-strengthening, peace, friendship, cooperation, development, multilateralisation and diversification of external relations, and being a responsible member of the international community in the new era, as set out by the 14th National Party Congress. — VNA/VNS

Indian artists put on a traditional dance to welcome top Vietnamese leader Tô Lâm. — VNA/VNS Photo