General Policy Declaration of the Secretary-General and President on Vietnam

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 Vision, Converging Strategies, and Engaging in Concrete Cooperation,” delivered by Secretary-General and President To Lam:

Mr. Shri Chandrapuram Ponnusami, Director-General of the Indian Council of World Affairs,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear friends,

Namaste! I am delighted to visit the Indian Council of World Affairs and meet you, distinguished researchers and international relations experts from India. The Indian Council of 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 historical residence, Sapru House, has hosted many significant events in India’s international relations and those of other Asian and global nations, including Vietnam, bringing together leaders, politicians, and diplomats from around the world.

In the context of our 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 bonds uniting India and Vietnam. Despite their geographical proximity, Vietnam and India have maintained close ties since antiquity. 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 links are visible at hundreds of historical sites across Vietnam, including the Buddhist center of Luy Lau, the UNESCO-listed My Son Sanctuary, Cham towers, and Ponagar tower – all imbued with Hinduism, Buddhism, and the benevolent philosophies of the Vietnamese people. These ties are also evident in various new forms, such as visits and participation of Indian leaders in Vesak celebrations, the Buddha’s birthday, in Vietnam, including the visit of Vice President Venkaiah Naidu in 2019.

For generations, the Vietnamese have been familiar with the epic Ramayana, a great Indian epic that celebrates and greatly contributes to shaping the values of courage, loyalty, and selflessness. Originating from India, yoga is gaining popularity in Vietnam, with over 4,000 yoga clubs across the country and approximately 500,000 Vietnamese practicing it regularly. Each year, tens of thousands of Vietnamese Buddhists and tourists make pilgrimages to Bodh Gaya in the Bihar state.

The historical journey of the struggle for national independence and nation-building has forged a deep sense of empathy, close ties, and unbreakable solidarity between the peoples and generations of leaders of both countries. It all started with President Ho Chi Minh’s deep respect for Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi and his unwavering friendship with India’s first 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, thus demonstrating the immense support of the Indian people and government for the Vietnamese cause. We will never forget the slogan “Mera Nam, Tera Nam, Vietnam – Vietnam” (Your name, my name, our name – Vietnam) chanted in the streets of many Indian cities, a vibrant testimony to the solidarity and close cooperation of the Indian and Vietnamese peoples in their struggle for peace, independence, and freedom. We will also never forget our Indian friends who supported Vietnam during the difficult years following the reunification of the country.

Vietnam will always cherish and remember the immense, deep, and invaluable support that the Indian people, political parties, and government have provided during the years of struggle for defending its independence and freedom, as well as the tangible support and assistance provided today in the country’s reconstruction and development efforts.

The development paths of India and Vietnam over the past 80 years have shown many similarities and have led to significant achievements. Both countries emerged from extremely difficult, if not depleted, 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 gradually built independent, autonomous, and robust economies.

India is currently the world’s fastest-growing economy, with a growth rate of 7.6% over the past year, despite a challenging global environment. It has maintained an average annual growth rate of 6% for three decades, making it one of the most important drivers of global economic growth. The Indian economy has become the fourth largest in the world and continues to progress towards the third position. India has become a technological powerhouse, ranking among the most dynamic digital, innovative, and artificial intelligence economies in the world. Its technology hubs, such as Bengaluru and Hyderabad, and high-level technological training institutions like the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) enjoy international recognition. The Indian Space Research Organization’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’s economy has reached $514 billion, a hundredfold increase compared to the pre-reform period. The country now ranks 32nd globally and 4th in ASEAN. Vietnam ranks 44th out of 139 countries in the Global Innovation Index, and its startup ecosystem ranks 55th globally. The poverty rate has dropped dramatically, from over 70% in the mid-1980s to 2.95% in 2025, based on multidimensional poverty criteria, allowing tens of millions of people to escape poverty.

In terms of foreign policy, both countries share the values of independence, autonomy, internal strength, and peace, prioritizing 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 the aspiration for peace and prosperity – values that the Vietnamese people constantly aspire to. We applaud India’s responsible contributions through strategic cooperation frameworks and connectivity initiatives, the “Act East” policy that strengthens connectivity with Southeast Asia and ASEAN, and the Indo-Pacific Initiative that promotes an open, inclusive space based on rules. We also appreciate India’s increasingly significant role in international 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, strengthening connectivity, and addressing common challenges.

Vietnam has successfully undertaken 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, a member of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and a member of several governing bodies of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Vietnam has also sent officers and soldiers to contribute to United Nations 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 crucial. India has defined its Vision Viksit Bharat 2047, aiming to become a developed nation and achieve a balance between economic growth, social progress, environmental sustainability, effective governance, and strengthening scientific and technological capabilities.

Vietnam has also set goals to become a developing country with a modern industry and upper middle-income by 2030, and a high-income country by 2045. These centenary goals are of particular strategic importance, reflecting the aspirations of the Vietnamese nation for development in the new era.

We are determined to innovatively accelerate our growth model, achieve rapid and sustainable development, preserve our independence and autonomy, while fully and effectively integrating into the international community. We are confident that scientific and technological development, innovation, and digital transformation should not only be tools for development but also the main driving force.

Built on trust and close ties, the relationship between the two countries has gradually developed, with diplomatic relations established in 1972, moving to a strategic partnership status in 2007, then a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2016, and continued deepening over the years. Bilateral trade volume has more than tripled in just ten years, reaching a record level of over $16.5 billion in 2025. Currently, India has over 400 investment projects in Vietnam, with a total capital exceeding one billion U.S. dollars. Vietnam benefits from Vinfast’s electric vehicle manufacturing project in India, with an investment commitment of up to 2 billion U.S. dollars over the first five years.

Defense and security cooperation remain a strategic pillar, with numerous financial support programs and technology transfers. Education and training, tourism, and human exchanges have also been developed, with around 80 direct weekly flights between the two countries.

The Vietnam-India relationship enters a new context, as the world undergoes unprecedented and profound changes. Competition between major powers is intensifying, and international law, the United Nations, and multilateral institutions face unprecedented challenges.

All countries, including Vietnam and India, face the paradoxes of our time: the need for increased cooperation, but declining trust. Economic structures are more interconnected but also more vulnerable. Technology is progressing at an unprecedented pace, simultaneously widening the development gap between nations. Change brings considerable challenges, but also opens up opportunities when seized quickly, and these opportunities will multiply if we remain connected.

The new context and the new requirements of each country’s new stage of development oblige us to strengthen, innovate, and elevate Vietnam-India relations to a new level.

Both countries’ development paths and the evolution of their relations show that Vietnam and India have become natural partners in peace, security, and development. We share common perspectives and visions on many issues related to national construction, regional and global affairs, and international relations. These issues include: (i) strategic autonomy and balance; (ii) respect for international law, support for the United Nations and the multilateral system; (iii) peace protection and consolidation and diversification of partnerships; (iv) prioritizing dialogue and seeking common ground to reduce differences; (v) supporting a fair and inclusive regional and international order.

We share many commonalities, including: (i) promoting peace and stability, creating favorable conditions for prosperous development; (ii) increasing convergent interests in many areas, from the economy, trade, defense, and security to science and technology, enhancing connectivity and the strength of bilateral relations; (iii) ensuring freedom and security of navigation and aviation, settling disputes by peaceful means, promoting an open, inclusive, and stable Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean region; (iv) strengthening coordination within regional multilateral mechanisms.

These links, shared visions, and strategic convergence form a solid foundation for Vietnam and India to enhance their cooperation, effectively contributing to the development of each country in this new era and shaping a more stable and sustainable regional and international environment.

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 a new level – a strengthened global strategic partnership guided by the principles of shared vision, strategic convergence, and concrete cooperation aimed at unleashing potential and opening up new spaces and domains – I hope we will focus on the implementation of the following major directives:

Firstly, it is necessary to strengthen and deepen strategic trust – an essential condition for maintaining stable relations and the foundation for effective cooperation and joint response to common challenges. For over 50 years, the Vietnam-India relationship has been exceptional, “as clear as a cloudless sky,” as former Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Van Dong once said. It is exceptional and clear because it is based on strong historical and cultural ties, mutual trust, understanding, and respect, as well as political coherence, 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 solid.

In this new phase, we must: (1) continue to strengthen deep exchanges through all channels – between the states, parliaments/national assemblies, political parties, peoples of both countries, and at all levels, central and local; (2) expand cooperation in strategic areas; security and defense cooperation, already good and close, must be enhanced and deepened; existing coordination mechanisms must be further developed, improving the efficiency of actions and coordination of positions in regional multilateral forums, including ASEAN, the United Nations, and the Non-Aligned Movement, particularly in the context of the extremely complex regional and international situation.

Secondly, we must expand the scope of connectivity, strengthen development connectivity, and energize regional ties. The development of infrastructure, logistics, digitization, and value chains are 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 need to be promoted, including joint production ventures, technology transfers, 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 matchmaking mechanisms between businesses and local communities through cooperation forums and investment promotion programs to realize cooperation guidelines in specific projects tailored to each sector, each locality, and each value chain.

The Vietnam-India relationship serves as a strategic link between Southeast Asia and South Asia. Through strengthening the global strategic partnership between the two countries, the ASEAN-India framework, the Mekong-Ganga cooperation, and regional connectivity initiatives, Vietnam and India can contribute to consolidating a vast, inclusive, and dynamic cooperation space.

At the same time, new ideas, tasks, and areas of cooperation must be linked to a new approach filled with determination, using progress in implementation and concrete results as measures of cooperation effectiveness.

Thirdly, enhancing and accelerating 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 like the digital economy, data, semiconductors, and artificial intelligence.

We place particular importance on cooperation with India in scientific and technological fields, particularly 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 cooperation in science, innovation, and strategic technologies, both in terms of orientation and implementation. To achieve this, it is essential to clearly identify key areas and implementation models and establish cooperation programs between research centers, universities, and companies focusing on talent training and mobility between our two countries.

Fourthly, the dissemination of socio-cultural values and strengthening people-to-people exchanges. The lasting vitality of relationships between countries depends not only on cooperation but also on the connections between individuals and societies. By 2025, nearly one million tourists should travel between Vietnam and India, demonstrating the strengthening ties between the two countries. This figure represents a significant improvement compared to five or six years ago, but it remains very low considering the demographic potential and economic power of both countries.

We must continue to develop and deepen these ties 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 enterprises that understanding and trust will naturally and durably be built.

The understanding and empathy cultivated over centuries are a precious heritage that must be cherished and preserved. They inspire Vietnam and India to disseminate and enrich positive values for the region and the world. Passed down and promoted by the younger generation, these values will help strengthen the foundations 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 limited to the absence of war and conflict; it also involves creating and strengthening the structural, institutional, and cultural conditions necessary for lasting peace, justice, and human prosperity. Peace is not a given, but the result of sincere dialogue, responsible conduct among nations, and unwavering respect for the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter and international law. The efforts by both countries to promote dialogue, enforce the rule of law, peacefully resolve disputes, and prioritize the interests of populations in development not only protect each party’s legitimate interests but also directly contribute to maintaining an open, transparent, inclusive, and rule-based regional order.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

A millennia-old history and over 50 years of diplomatic relations have woven strong and precious ties between Vietnam and India, rooted in a rich history and numerous development similarities. For Vietnam, India has always been an essential partner and a close, faithful friend.

Entering a new era, with a global strategic partnership reaching new heights and guided by the motto “shared vision, converging strategies, and concrete cooperation,” coupled with decisive government decisions, determination, unity, and the innovative spirit of businesses from both countries, I am confident that Vietnam-India relations will further solidify and substantively develop. The links between the two countries will become even stronger, providing concrete benefits and contributing to the development of each country positively impacting 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 develop!

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