STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT OF INDIA, SHRI PRANAB MUKHERJEE TO THE MEDIA ON BOARD THE SPECIAL AIRCRAFT ON HIS WAY BACK FROM HIS STATE VISIT TO THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM

I am happy to address you on conclusion of my highly successful visit to Vietnam from September 14-17, 2014.

As you are aware, I was accompanied on this visit by MOS Petroleum & Natural Gas Shri Dharmendra Pradhan and a multi-party delegation of Members of Parliament comprising Professor KV Thomas, Shri PC Mohan, Smt Supriya Sadanand Sule, Shri Bhartruhari Mahtab, Shri Parvesh Sahib Singh and Dr Ponnuswamy Venugopal belonging to different parts of our country.

We met with the entire top leadership of Vietnam, held extensive discussions, visited cultural and historical sites as well as interacted with the common people. I was in particular honoured to gift on behalf of the people of India the sapling of a Bodhi tree. I visited the Tran Quoc Pagoda where a Bodhi tree planted by our first President Rajendra Prasad in 1959 is flourishing as a wonderful symbol of the strength and durability of our friendship with the people of Vietnam. I was further deeply moved by my visit to the War Remnants Museum and Cu Chi Tunnels in Ho Chi Minh City which record and demonstrate the indomitable spirit and courage of the Vietnamese people who have emerged victorious against tremendous odds.

My delegation and I were overwhelmed by the affection, hospitality and warmth of the reception extended to us. We found across the board a deep seated desire for closer interaction. We return to India impressed by the commitment of the Vietnamese government to take the relationship to new heights. The tangible outcomes of our discussions have been already conveyed to you. We concluded seven Agreements/MoUs and released a Joint Communique, which will provide the institutional framework for mutually beneficial exchanges. I am convinced that my visit will provide fresh impetus and momentum to our close friendship and strategic partnership, which is based on civilizational contacts, modern day solidarity and great potential for the future.

The foundation of our relations laid by the exchanges between the Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh, Prime Minister Pt. Nehru and President Dr. Rajendra Prasad has been consolidated by successive generations of leadership on both sides. Our Strategic Partnership, established in 2007, is marked by a high degree of trust. Today our security and defence cooperation is robust and growing. We are helping them in training and capacity building. We are providing Line of Credit of 100 million USD for purchase of some critical equipment.

Political relations between India and Vietnam have always been strong and ‘cloudless’. The time has come however for us to focus with renewed energy and fresh determination on strengthening economic engagement, connectivity and people-to-people exchanges, particularly amongst the youth.

Vietnam’s economic growth and development over the last two decades has been impressive. There is great scope to expand and diversify our trade exchanges. We have set a new target of USD 15 billion worth of trade by 2020. The Vietnamese side has promised that they will provide a favourable environment for further investments from India. We expect business partnerships and joint ventures to grow in the area of infrastructure, agro-processing, textiles, agro-chemicals, manufacturing, hydrocarbons, energy and many others. I am happy to inform that in follow up to my visit, the Prime Minister of Vietnam has agreed to visit India in October itself, accompanied by a major business delegation.

To improve connectivity, Jet Airways will commence direct flights to Ho Chi Minh City from Mumbai from 5 November 2014 and Vietnam Airlines will fly to India in early 2015. This will open up the potential for greater flows of people-to-people contacts for businesses, for students and for tourists. I have also invited the Vietnamese leadership and the people of Vietnam to visit the land of Buddha and re-kindle this age-old connection. Further, we shall be commencing restoration work of the Cham Monument at My Son.

I have been moved by my experience of the last few days in this great country. Yesterday, at the War Remnants Museum, I saw a poster of 1966 proclaiming the support of the Indian people for the Vietnamese people in their struggle for freedom. India has always stood by and supported the people of Vietnam. We were with them then, we are with them now and we will continue to stand strongly with Vietnam in the future. Vietnam has in India a dependable and trustworthy partner. The people of India, irrespective of differences in political conviction or affiliation remain strong votaries of friendship with Vietnam. I am confident that our relations will grow from strength to strength and our strategic partnership will be deepened and expanded rapidly in the coming years. I am certain that India and Vietnam, as two of the fastest growing economies of Asia, will provide stability and growth to this region and the world.