HÀ NỘI – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi begins an official two-day visit to Việt Nam today at the invitation of Việt Nam’s Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc.

His visit is the first official visit of an Indian Prime Minister to Việt Nam in 15 years.

“The visit will help further strengthen and expand our traditionally close and friendly ties marked by deep trust and mutual understanding,” Parvathaneni Harish, Indian Ambassador to Việt Nam, said in a press conference prior to the visit.

During his stay, Modi will hold talks with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc and visit Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng, President Trần Đại Quang, and National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân.

The Indian Prime Minister will also visit Quán Sứ Pagoda in Hà Nội at the invitation of the Việt Nam’s Buddhist Sangha. Buddism, which came to Việt Nam from India about 2,000 years ago, has played an important role in links between the two countries, the Indian Ambassador said.

Việt Nam’s Ambassador to India Tôn Sinh Thành also said Modi’s visit holds significant importance to bilateral ties.

Thành said Việt Nam and India have shared a long-standing relationship from trade and religious exchanges and benefited from the personal relationship between late President Hồ Chí Minh and Indian PM Jawaharlan Nehru.

The two nations have supported each other during their respective struggles for national liberation as well as socio-economic development, he said. 

He said that the strategic partnership has seen robust development in the past decade, with political trust reinforced by regular visits of senior leaders, including the visits to India by former President Trương Tấn Sang in 2011, Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng in 2013 and former Prime Minister Nguyễn Tấn Dũng in  2014, and the visit to Việt Nam by Indian President Pranab Mukharjee in 2014.

Bilateral co-operation mechanisms, including the Việt Nam – India Joint Commission, the political consultation and strategic dialogue between the two foreign ministries, and defence dialogues, have proved efficient in boosting ties between the two countries, he said. 

Thành expressed his belief in the bright prospects for the Việt Nam-India strategic partnership, based on a strong foundation as well as similarities in strategic interests, political trust and high economic potential. – VNS