India-Vietnam relationship - a force for good in the region

Former Ambassador of India to Vietnam Preeti Saran. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam was etched in my mind since childhood. It was a country that had withstood the might of major superpowers and fought for its unity and independence. As was pointed out by our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in October 2014, during his interaction with the Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, “every child in the smallest village in India had heard of Ho Chi Minh and the stories of courage of the brave people of Vietnam”. Here was a country that had risen, phoenix-like, from the ashes of war, to emerge as one of the most dynamic economies of Southeast Asia.

Imagine my excitements therefore, when I first received news about my appointment as India’s Ambassador to Vietnam! It would be my privilege, as India’s envoy to Vietnam, to see first-hand, this remarkable country’s progress and contribute to enhancing the traditional bonds of friendship that marked India-Vietnam relationship.

The first thing that struck me upon arrival in Hanoi was the immense energy amongst the people. A palpable socio-economic transformation was underway. The nation was on the move, charmingly symbolized by the ubiquitous two wheelers that dexterously navigated all traffic impediments, to safely reach their destinations. Construction activity of roads, ports, bridges and modern buildings was visible all around. The pace of this development activity was phenomenal. The new Parliament building, the Noi Bai International Airport in Ha Noi and the Ha Noi - Hai Phong Expressway, were some of the important projects that were completed in record time, during my three-year stay in Vietnam from 2013-2016. I saw the landscape of the big cities change, with the old and the new happily co-existing. This was so reminiscent of India.

My instinctive Indian respect for Vietnam was reinforced when I observed a great sense of pride, patriotism, and love among the Vietnamese people for their country. Vietnam’s progress can be credited to its sagacious leadership, the prescient policies followed for socio-economic growth and the indomitable will of the Vietnamese people. I was particularly struck by the dynamism of the women of Vietnam, who have since the war years, participated as equal contributors towards growth and development of their country. They have performed admirably in all walks of life as soldiers, leaders, entrepreneurs, professionals, educators and much more, and yet retained their traditional role as homemakers and gracefully preserved their country’s rich culture and heritage.

My closest and the most memorable friendships in Vietnam were made with some of these remarkable, charming and dynamic Vietnamese women, who never lost their sense of humor or zest for life, in spite of all life’s challenges. They were great cooks too and introduced me to the most delicious Vietnamese cuisine.

Indian President Pranab Mukherjee and Vietnamese counterpart Truong Tan Sang plant a Bodhi sapling at the presidential palace in Hanoi on September 15, 2014. (Photo: VNA)

My three-year tenure as Ambassador was marked by high-level visits on both sides, including the visit to India of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in 2013 and the Indian President Shri Pranab Mukherjee’s visit to Vietnam in 2014. These high-level interactions enhanced mutual trust, mutual understanding and a convergence of interest between us. We shared common concerns of security, sovereignty, territorial integrity and the importance of upholding a rule-based order in the Indo-Pacific. Every official interaction was focused on identifying new areas of cooperation, to forge closer ties and enhance our strategic relations, our trade, investment and greater people to people contact. There was a keenness to learn from some of India’s success stories, including in the IT sector. Defence cooperation received a major boost with the finalisation of the first ever US$ 100 million Line of Credit in the defence sector. Our discussions, always, remained free, frank and full of warmth.

As stated by Prime Minister Modi in 2014, “Vietnam has been in the forefront of India’s engagement with the region”. It was in HaNoi that we therefore first articulated India’s Act East Policy, when the Indian External Affairs Minister Smt. Sushma Swaraj visited Ha Noi in August 2014. This highlighted the importance of Vietnam as our strategic partner. Two years later, this relationship was further upgraded to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during Prime Minister Modi’s landmark visit to Vietnam in September 2016.

One of the most heartwarming memories of my stay in Vietnam was the genuine love and affection that was showered upon me by the people of Vietnam. I would be recognized on the streets because of my traditional Indian wear sari, as being one “from the land of Lord Buddha”. It was their life’s desire to visit Bodh Gaya in India, where Lord Buddha attained enlightenment. India was viewed as a true friend that had supported Vietnam through its years of struggle and perceived as an important partner in Vietnam’s growth and development. There were similarities in our family values, our pride in our heritage, our developmental vision and our desire for inclusive growth. Our discussions also included Indian culture, cinema and television programmes that had become increasingly popular in Vietnam. We organised an Indian Film Festival and made special efforts to promote tourism and travel between our two countries.

The celebration for the first International Day of Yoga was held at Hanoi’s Quan Ngua Sports Complex on June 21, 2015. (Photo: VNA)

One of the most vivid memories of my tenure as Ambassador was the country-wide celebration of the first International Day of Yoga, which was organised on June 21, 2015. Both the central Government in Hanoi and the provincial governments joined hands with numerous local yoga institutes to put together one of the most memorable celebrations worldwide, highlighting the health benefits of yoga. The immense popularity of yoga in Vietnam was an eye-opener, reconfirming yet another strong cultural and spiritual linkage between our two countries.

Nearly six years have passed since I left Vietnam as Ambassador, but the memories of my pleasant stay have endured. It is satisfying that our multifaceted engagement under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership has since made forward strides in all areas – whether political engagement or trade and investment ties, energy cooperation, development partnership, defence and security cooperation, and people-to-people relations. The wide-ranging areas in which we are cooperating today is itself a sign of the maturity of our ties, our support for each other’s national development and indeed in our belief in each other’s future.

As we mark the 50th anniversary of our diplomatic relations, I see our future relations to be full of promise. Our bilateral trade, for the first time has crossed US$ 14 billion and I am confident that we will reach the target of US$ 15 billion.

We have resumed direct flights, which will give a boost to our trade, investment, tourism, pilgrimage and people-to-people contacts.

Our shared commitment to international law, our common desire for reformed multilateralism and our inclusive vision for regional architecture make India - Vietnam cooperation a factor for stability in the Indo-Pacific. Our relationship remains a force for good in the region.

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