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During a state visit to the Republic of India in New Delhi on May 6, General Secretary and President To Lam met Kusum Jain, Chair of the India-Vietnam Friendship Association. He expressed pleasure at meeting Ms. Jain and the members of the India-Vietnam Friendship Association; he was moved by the sincere affection and the close ties that Indian friends have for Vietnam. To Lam thanked the Association members for contributing to strengthening Vietnam-India friendship, affirming that the two countries’ relationship is a precious asset founded by President Ho Chi Minh and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, and preserved and developed by successive generations of leaders and people of both nations. Vietnam always remembers India’s valuable support for its independence struggle in the past and for its current efforts to build and develop the country. To Lam stressed that Vietnam remains consistent in valuing the traditional friendship with India. After 10 years of establishing the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the bilateral relationship has continued to develop strongly, with people-to-people exchanges playing a key role in enhancing mutual understanding and trust. Kusum Jain welcomed the General Secretary and President To Lam and the Vietnamese high-level delegation and expressed admiration for Vietnam’s achievements over 40 years of renewal and confidence in the country’s future prospects. She also praised Vietnam’s determination to fight corruption, wastefulness, and negativity. Members of the India-Vietnam Friendship Association expressed affection for Vietnam and its people and proposed expanding cultural exchanges, people-to-people dialogue, cooperation in publishing books about Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, and the reform process; opening Vietnamese language classes in Kolkata and promoting translation between Vietnamese and Hindi. Acknowledging the proposals, To Lam assessed the role of people-to-people diplomacy highly and urged the India-Vietnam Friendship Association to continue promoting cultural and educational exchanges, Buddhism cooperation, and local-level collaboration, as well as innovation. To Lam stated that leaders of both countries are exchanging measures to achieve breakthroughs in bilateral cooperation that match the potential and expectations of their people; he also expressed confidence that friendship organizations will continue to serve as bridges to deepen and strengthen Vietnam-India friendship.
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