Prime Minister Dung Starts Two-day India Visit

Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, his wife and entourages left Hanoi for India today, beginning a July 4-6 visit to strengthen multifaceted cooperation with the South Asian nation, said the government’s website.

 

This is the first high-ranking official visit between the two countries since the visit by Party chief Nong Duc Manh to India in 2003.

 

A joint statement, five agreements for cooperation in agriculture, fisheries, sea transport, judicial assistance and cultural exchange, and some economic contracts are expected to be inked on this occasion.

 

The Prime Minister and his wife are accompanied by 186 ministers, deputy ministers, political leaders, businesspeople and reporters. 

 

The two-way trade between Vietnam and India rises by 20 per cent a year on average, from US$75 million in 1995 to over US$1 billion in 2006. Both sides are working closely to reduce Vietnam's trade deficit and to increase the value of two-way trade to US$2 billion by 2010.

 

Vietnam is now the most attractive investment destination of Indian firms among ASEAN member countries. In 2006, Indian businesses poured US$580 million into Vietnam.

 

Many big groups such as Tata, ONGC, Reliance, Gail, and Infosys of India are now keen on investing in steel, pro-chemistry, IT and telecom projects in Vietnam. (The People, Government’s Website)