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Vietnam’s Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Manh Cuong said the visit by General Secretary and President To Lam to India is an important foreign policy event of special significance. It is the first time the General Secretary and President visits India in his new capacity, taking place on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Vietnam–India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (2016–2026).
The visit, according to Cuong, underscores Vietnam’s high regard for the Vietnam–India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and for the South Asia region. It is also intended to help the two countries strengthen cooperation across all areas, review the 10-year framework, and create new momentum for elevating bilateral relations in the next period.
Deputy Minister Nguyen Manh Cuong said the visit will feature a full program in New Delhi and in Mumbai, described as India’s financial and economic hub. The General Secretary and President will exchange and discuss strategic directions with Indian leaders to boost cooperation and pursue breakthroughs in areas including science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, healthcare, clean energy, and infrastructure.
In addition to plenary talks and high-level meetings, the program will include practical activities such as forums on finance and events promoting science and technology and innovation. Cuong said the visit is expected to broaden cooperation space, widen markets for trade and investment, strengthen supply chains, and promote science and technology cooperation to attract resources for development.
The deputy minister added that the visit reflects shared determination to elevate the traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and India, and is expected to become a political milestone shaping the relationship at a higher level.
Cuong described India as a traditional friendly partner in South Asia that Vietnam values and wants to elevate to a new level. He said Vietnam–India relations have developed steadily, with a qualitative shift since the establishment of the Vietnam–India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2016.
He noted that the two countries currently have more than 20 bilateral cooperation mechanisms across different fields and have signed many important cooperation documents guiding the relationship. Political trust has been reinforced through exchanges of high-level delegations, while defense-security cooperation remains deep through joint training and exercises.
On economic and trade ties, Cuong said bilateral trade has reached about 15–16 billion USD per year in recent years, and that India is among Vietnam’s top 10 trade partners. He also said bilateral investment has continued to expand with nearly 500 projects, with further room for breakthroughs.
Cuong said cooperation is also expanding into new areas such as science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, clean energy, and satellite data. Cultural exchanges and people-to-people interactions are developing strongly.
In multilateral frameworks, Cuong said Vietnam and India share a common vision for building a rules-based international order, strengthening multilateral institutions, and promoting peace, stability, and sustainable development. He added that the two countries regularly coordinate and support each other at regional and international forums and organizations.
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