Table of Contents
VIETNAM
- Officially the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam
- It borders China in the north, it has a long border with Laos and borders Cambodia in southwest
- Vietnam is a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), AsiaPacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
INDIA’S RELATIONSHIP WITH VIETNAM
President Ram Nath Kovind’s choice of Vietnam as the first Southeast Asian country to visit in his capacity as the President is not surprising A close ‘ally’ of India for over 70 years, and not limited to official diplomatic ties, Vietnam is critical for India’s foreign policy at the regional and systemic levels.
MY SON TEMPLES
Most of My Son’s architecture was destroyed by the US during the Vietnam War. Interestingly, My Son is the only place in Vietnamese history without the influence of the US or France. The temples are dedicated to the worship of the god Shiva, known under various local names, the most important of which is Bhadreshvara.
HOW IS VIETNAM’S FOREIGN POLICY SHAPED?
- Domestically, since the start of its Doi Moi policy — its political and economic renewal campaign —in 1986, Vietnam has made dramatic strides
- Today it is a rapidly growing, regional economic giant, showing both dynamism and pragmatism in its calculations
- While earlier it imported agricultural products, today it is a major exporter
- Vietnam even normalised relations with the U.S., its former opponent
INDIA – VIETNAM
Bilateral trade between India and Vietnam has seen continuous growth over the past many years. India is now among the top ten trading partners of Vietnam. India-Vietnam economic relations are on an upswing. Our bilateral trade last year stood at $12.8 billion. Aim to achieve India -Vietnam bilateral trade target of $15 billion by 2020
OVER THE YEARS
Strategic Partnership in 2007 and its elevation to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2016. Plan of Action for the Implementation of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for the period of 2017 – 2020.
NOVEMBER 2018 AGREEMENTS
- Following the talks between President Kovind and Vietnamese President Nguyen Phu Trong, four MoU’s were signed between the two nations.
The agreements include:
(i) The MOU between Vietnam’s Ministry of Information and Communications and the Indian Ministry of Communications on cooperation in the field of Communications
(ii) The MOU on cooperation between Vietnam’s Department of Foreign Affairs and the Indian Business Chamber in Viet Nam (INCHAM)
(iii) The MOU between the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, Ha Noi, Vietnam and the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
(iv) The Cooperation Agreement between Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) ONE ISSUE REMAINED India and Vietnam signed four agreements during the visit of President Ram Nath Kovind to Vietnam this week but again failed to finalise a deal under discussion for operationalizing the $500 million line of credit (LC) which the government announced for defence cooperation with the southeast Asian nation.
THE DELAY
The delay in signing a framework agreement for implementing the LC has started to raise eyebrows here even though government sources here have sought to explain it as “caused by increased vetting of proposals for foreign loans.” Vietnam doesn’t want its public debt to exceed 65 percent of its GDP and its foreign debt 50 percent of the same.
OIL EXPLORATION
India and Vietnam agreed to continue promoting bilateral investment, including cooperation projects between Vietnam Oil and Gas Group PVN and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation in oil and gas exploration on land, continental shelf and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Vietnam.
THE OIL
India’s growing economy needs energy resources and Vietnam has rich hydrocarbon reserves. India’s state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has been searching for oil in disputed waters off Vietnam, though China objected to this. Though ONGC had been given two exploration blocks originally (Block 127 and Block 128 in 2006), it stopped exploring in Block 127 since it had been unable to find any worthwhile hydrocarbon deposits.
VIETNAM’S IMPORTANCE FOR INDIA
- First, Vietnam is an important element of India’s Act East Policy, which aims to re-invigorate its historical ties with countries in Southeast and East Asia. It was after Modi took office in May 2014 that the former “Look East Policy” was rechristened the “Act East Policy.”
- Second, Vietnam is important for India from the connectivity angle. With the election of a civilian government in Myanmar, there are ample opportunities for closer connectivity between India and Vietnam via Myanmar and existing transit routes in Cambodia and Laos. The trilateral India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway will allow Indian goods to reach Southeast Asia with ease and vice versa. In the future, the India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway could link up with already existing roads like the one linking Thailand with the Vietnamese port of Da Nang.
INDIA VIETNAM ON THE WORLD STAGE
Vietnam backed India’s bid for a permanent seat at the UN security council Vietnam as an emerging middle power and India as a net security provider in the region has the convergence which makes them an ideal partner for all seasons at the sub-regional, regional and multilateral forums.
THE CHINA ISSUE
Vietnam and India shared their views on the settlement of disputes via peaceful means, respecting legal and diplomatic processes and in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982 UNCLOS).
NOTES
India has also offered the BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles as well as the Akash surface-to-air missile defence systems to Vietnam. India is also set to train Vietnamese fighter pilots to fly the Sukhoi-30 fighter jets India also held its first naval exercise with Vietnam, as part of the overall strategy to steadily build military ties with nations in the Asia Pacific region, deploying three warships to the Tien Sa Port (Danag)
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