VietNamNet is pleased to present the full text of the speech entitled “Strengthening the Global Strategic Partnership between Vietnam and India in the New Era: Sharing a Vision, Converging Strategies, and Engaging in Concrete Cooperation,” delivered by Secretary General and President To Lam:
Dear Mr. Shri Chandrapuram Ponnusami, Director General of the Indian Council on World Affairs,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear friends,
Namaste!
I am delighted to visit the Indian Council on World Affairs and meet with you, distinguished scholars and experts in international relations from India. The Indian Council on World Affairs is a leading strategic research institute with an excellent reputation and over 80 years of history. It has played a pioneering role in shaping India’s foreign policy. This historic institution, Sapru House, has been the venue for many significant events in India’s international relations as well as those of other Asian and global nations, including Vietnam, bringing together numerous leaders, politicians, and diplomats from around the world.
In the discussion today, I would like to talk about Vietnam-India relations in this new era: a strengthened global strategic partnership guided by the principles of shared vision, strategic convergence, and concrete cooperation.
If we consider the thousands of years of formation and development of both countries, history and culture have become strong ties binding India and Vietnam together.
Despite their geographical proximity, Vietnam and India have maintained close ties since ancient times. Thanks to maritime trade routes, Indian beliefs, ideologies, and religious civilizations have spread and integrated into the cultural and spiritual life of the Vietnamese people. These connections are visible at hundreds of historical sites across Vietnam, including the Buddhist center of Luy Lau, the UNESCO World Heritage Site My Son sanctuary, Cham towers, and the Ponagar tower – all imbued with Hinduism, Buddhism, and the benevolent philosophies of the Vietnamese people. This connection is also evident in new and diverse forms, such as visits and Indian leaders’ participation in Vesak celebrations, the Buddha’s birthday, in Vietnam, including the visit of Vice President Venkaiah Naidu in 2019.
The historic journey of the struggle for national independence and nation-building has forged a deep sense of empathy, close ties, and unwavering solidarity between the peoples and generations of leaders of the two countries. It all started with President Ho Chi Minh’s deep respect for Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi and his unwavering friendship with the first Indian Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, both driven by the same desire for independence, peace, justice, and prosperous development. We will never forget that Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was the first foreign head of government to visit Vietnam in 1954, just a week after the complete liberation of Hanoi, demonstrating the immense support of the Indian people and government for the Vietnamese cause. We will never forget the slogan “Mera Naam, Tera Naam, Vietnam – Vietnam” (Your name, my name, our name – Vietnam) chanted in the streets of many Indian cities, a vibrant testimony of the solidarity and close cooperation between the Indian and Vietnamese peoples in their struggle for peace, independence, and freedom. We also will not forget our Indian friends who supported Vietnam during the difficult years that followed the reunification of the country.
Vietnam will cherish and always remember the immense, deep, and invaluable support that the Indian people, political parties, and government have provided during the years of struggle to defend its independence and liberty, as well as the concrete support and assistance given today for the country’s reconstruction and development.
When it comes to the development trajectories of India and Vietnam in the past 80 years, they present many similarities and have achieved great things.
First and foremost, these two countries emerged from extremely difficult, if not devastated, colonial economies characterized by low levels of development, unbalanced structures, and strong dependence on foreign powers. Driven by the desire for prosperity and well-being for their populations, these two nations have gradually built independent, autonomous, and robust economies.
India is currently the world’s fastest-growing economy, with a growth rate of 7.6% in the past year, despite a challenging global context. It has maintained an average annual growth rate of 6% over the past three decades, making it one of the most significant drivers of global economic growth. The Indian economy has become the fourth largest in the world and is steadily moving towards the third position. India has become a technological powerhouse, ranking among the most dynamic digital, innovative, and artificial intelligence economies globally. Its technological hubs, such as Bengaluru and Hyderabad, and high-level technology training institutions like the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), have gained international recognition. The Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) space program has positioned India among the most advanced nations in space technologies.
After forty years of deep reforms and integration regionally and globally, Vietnam has seen its economy reach $514 billion, growing by a factor of 100 compared to the pre-reform period. The country is now ranked 32nd globally and 4th in ASEAN. Vietnam ranks 44 out of 139 countries in the Global Innovation Index, and its startup ecosystem ranks 55th globally. The poverty rate has dramatically dropped from over 70% in the mid-1980s to 2.95% in 2025, according to multidimensional poverty criteria, enabling tens of millions of people to escape poverty.
In terms of foreign policy, our two countries share the values of independence, autonomy, internal strength, and peace, privileging dialogue and a proactive, balanced, and responsible approach to regional and global issues. I am particularly impressed by the Indian philosophy “The world is one family” (Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam), which emphasizes friendship, respect, solidarity, and aspirations for peace and prosperity – values that the Vietnamese people constantly aspire to. We welcome India’s responsible contributions through strategic cooperation frameworks and connectivity initiatives, the policy “Acting East” strengthening connectivity with Southeast Asia and ASEAN, and the Indo-Pacific Initiative promoting an open, inclusive space based on rules. We also appreciate India’s increasingly important role in multilateral mechanisms, including the United Nations, G20, BRICS, the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), and the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multisectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), contributing to promoting dialogue, enhancing connectivity, and addressing common challenges.
Vietnam has also successfully taken on many important international responsibilities, such as chairing ASEAN, hosting the APEC summit, serving as a non-permanent member of the Security Council, a member of the UN Human Rights Council, a Vice President of the General Assembly, a member of the International Law Commission of the United Nations, and a member of various governing bodies of UNESCO, among others. We have also sent officers and soldiers to contribute to UN peacekeeping missions.
Celebrating the centenary of their independence, Vietnam and India are setting new development goals that combine growth and social progress, where the role of science and technology is essential. India has defined its Vision Viksit Bharat 2047, aiming to become a developed nation and to achieve a balance between economic growth, social progress, environmental sustainability, effective governance, and strengthening scientific and technological capacities.
Vietnam has also set the goal of becoming a modern industrialized country with an upper middle-income by 2030 and a high-income country by 2045. These are two centennial goals of particular strategic importance, reflecting the aspirations of the Vietnamese nation for development in the new era.
We are determined to innovate vigorously in our growth model, achieve rapid and sustainable development, preserve our independence and autonomy, while fully and effectively integrating into the international community. We are convinced that scientific and technological development, innovation, and digital transformation should not just be tools for development but the main driving force behind it.
Based on the strong foundations of Vietnam-India relations over the past 50 years and in order to elevate Vietnam-India cooperation to a new stage and level – a reinforced global strategic partnership guided by the principles of shared vision, strategic convergence, and concrete cooperation aimed at unleashing potential and exploring new spaces and areas – I hope we will focus on implementing the following major directions:
First and foremost, it is necessary to strengthen and deepen strategic trust – a prerequisite for maintaining stable relations and the basis for effective cooperation and joint response to common challenges. For over 50 years, Vietnam-India relations have been exceptional, “as clear as an unclouded sky,” to quote the late Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Van Dong. This relationship is exceptional and clear because it is built on solid historical and cultural ties, mutual trust, understanding, and respect, as well as political consistency – the result of generations of leaders and peoples of both countries. It is exceptional and clear because the two countries have no conflicting interests, and their cooperation is extremely stable and strong.
In this new phase, we must: (1) continue to strengthen deep exchanges on all channels – between the state, parliament/national assembly, political parties, peoples of the two countries, and at all levels, both central and local; (2) broaden cooperation in strategic areas; security and defense cooperation, already good and close, must be improved and deepened – existing coordination mechanisms should be further developed, enhancing the effectiveness of actions and coordination of positions in multilateral bodies, including ASEAN, the United Nations, and the Non-Aligned Movement, especially in the context of an extremely complex regional and international situation.
Secondly, we need to broaden the scope of connectivity, strengthen development connectivity, and invigorate regional ties. The development of infrastructure, logistics, digitization, and value chains is essential to increase connectivity between the two countries. For highly complementary sectors such as the pharmaceutical industry, information technology, advanced agriculture, and clean energy, specific cooperation projects should be promoted, including production joint ventures, technology transfer, market development, and increased participation in regional supply chains.
We are ready to cooperate with India in the pharmaceutical sector and encourage Indian pharmaceutical companies to invest in pharmaceutical production in Vietnam for the Southeast Asian market. We will develop direct connection mechanisms between businesses and local communities through cooperation forums and investment promotion programs to materialize cooperation directions into specific projects tailored to each sector, region, and value chain.
Vietnam-India relations serve as a strategic link between Southeast Asia and South Asia. With the reinforcement of the global strategic partnership between the two countries, the ASEAN-India framework, the Mekong-Ganga Cooperation, and regional connectivity initiatives, Vietnam and India can help consolidate a vast, inclusive, and dynamic cooperation space.
At the same time, new ideas, tasks, and areas of cooperation must be linked to a new determined approach, using implementation progress and tangible results as measures of the effectiveness of cooperation.
Thirdly, the strengthening and acceleration of strategic cooperation in science, innovation, and technology will be a crucial pillar of Vietnam-India cooperation. Knowledge, technology, and innovation have become the main drivers of growth, new determinants of global power, and national competitiveness; they require deeper and more diversified forms of cooperation in future areas such as the digital economy, data, semiconductors, and artificial intelligence.
We attach particular importance to cooperation with India in scientific and technological fields, especially in strategic sectors such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation. I am confident that we can strengthen and deepen our cooperation by promoting the strategic pillar of science, innovation, and strategic technology cooperation, both in terms of orientation and implementation. To do so, it is essential to clearly identify key areas and implementation models and establish cooperation programs between research centers, universities, and businesses focused on talent training and mobility between our two countries.
Fourthly, the dissemination of socio-cultural values and the strengthening of people-to-people exchanges. The enduring vitality of relations between countries rests not only on cooperation but also on the bonds that unite individuals and societies. By 2025, nearly a million tourists are expected to travel between Vietnam and India, a testament to the strengthening ties between the two countries. This figure represents a significant improvement over five or six years ago, but it remains relatively low given the demographic potential and economic power of the two countries.
We must continue to develop and deepen these bonds through cooperation in education and training, culture, tourism, local initiatives, and people-to-people exchanges, especially with younger generations. It is in classrooms, laboratories, research projects, and young ventures that understanding and trust will naturally and enduringly be established.
The understanding and empathy cultivated over centuries are a precious heritage that must be cherished and preserved. They inspire Vietnam and India to spread and enrich positive values for the region and the world. Transmitted and promoted by the younger generation, these values will help strengthen the foundation of bilateral relations for the future.
Fifthly, working together to build and strengthen a space of peace and stability. We all deeply understand the value of peace. In the current context, we are increasingly aware that peace is not just the absence of war and conflict; it also involves creating and strengthening the structural, institutional, and cultural conditions needed for lasting peace, justice, and human prosperity. Peace is not a given but the result of sincere dialogue, responsible conduct between nations, and unwavering respect for the fundamental principles of the UN Charter and international law. The efforts made by the two countries to promote dialogue, uphold the rule of law, resolve disputes peacefully, and prioritize the interests of populations in development not only protect the legitimate interests of each party but also directly contribute to maintaining an open, transparent, inclusive, and rule-based regional order.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
A millennia-long history and over 50 years of diplomatic relations have woven strong and valuable ties between Vietnam and India, rooted in a rich history and many similarities in development. For Vietnam, India has always been an essential partner and a close and loyal friend.
Entering a new era, with a global strategic partnership reaching new heights guided by the motto “shared vision, converging strategies, and concrete cooperation,” combined with decisive government decisions, determination, unity, and the innovative spirit of businesses from both countries, I am confident that Vietnam-India relations will develop even stronger and more substantially. The ties between the two countries will grow even stronger, bringing concrete benefits and positively contributing to the development of each and contributing positively to peace, stability, cooperation, and prosperity in the region and the world.
I wish you all good health and much success!
May the friendship between Vietnam and India remain strong and continue to grow!
Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen.
Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/phat-bieu-chinh-sach-cua-tong-bi-thu-chu-tich-nuoc-ve-quan-he-viet-nam-an-do-2513232.html
