About Us Bilateral Relations

India – Vietnam relations

India and Vietnam, with historical roots in their national struggle for independence, share traditionally close and cordial bilateral relations that are categorized as comprehensive strategic partnership by both countries. Mahatma Gandhi and President Ho Chi Minh, regarded as the Father of Nation in India and Vietnam respectively, led people in their heroic struggle against colonialism in their respective countries. India was the Co-Chairman of the International Commission for Supervision and Control formed pursuant to the Geneva Accord of 1954 to facilitate the peace process in Vietnam. India initially maintained Consulate-level relations with the then North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam and later established full diplomatic relations with unified Vietnam on 7 January 1972. 

  1. Bilateral relations between the two countries were elevated to the level of ‘Strategic Partnership’ during the visit of Vietnam’s Prime Minister Mr. Nguyen Tan Dung to India in July 2007. In 2016, during Indian Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi’s visit to Vietnam, bilateral relations were further elevated to “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership”. The current development of India-Vietnam relations are guided by a Joint Vision for Peace, Prosperity and People adopted by Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi and the then Prime Minister Mr. Nguyen Xuan Phuc during the Virtual Summit held on 21 December 2020. Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi and General Secretary of Communist Party of Vietnam Mr. Nguyen Phu Trong had telephonic conversation on 15 April 2022. In 2022-23, the two countries are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations that also coincides with the 75th anniversary of India’s independence “Aazadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav”.
  2. POLITICAL EXCHANGES

Recent Meetings

  1. PM Mr. Narendra Modi and the then Prime Minister Mr. Nguyen Xuan Phuc held a Virtual Summit on 21 December 2020 and on the sidelines of the Virtual Summit, the Foreign Ministers of the two countries signed a Plan of Action for the period 2021-23 to implement the Joint Vision. PM Modi had bilateral meeting with PM Pham Minh Chinh on 20 May 2023 in Hiroshima (Japan) on the margins of G7 Summit. On 12 November 2022, Vice President Mr. Jagdeep Dhankar met the Prime Minister of Vietnam Mr. Pham Minh Chin on the sidelines of India-ASEAN Summit in Phnom Penh.
  2. Speaker of Lok Sabha Mr. Om Birla, Raksha Mantri Mr. Rajnath Singh and Secretary (East) Mr. Saurabh Kumar visited Vietnam in 2022. From Vietnam side, the Foreign Minister Mr. Bui Thanh Son and Secretary of Ho Chi Minh City and Politburo Member Mr. Nguyen Van Nen visited India in 2022 while the Politburo member and Minister of Public Security of Vietnam General To Lam was hosted by NSA in India in April 2023. Foreign Minister of Vietnam Mr. Bui Thanh Son attended the Special ASEAN-India Foreign Minister’s Meeting held in New Delhi on 16-17 June 2022 to mark the 30th Anniversary of ASEAN-India Dialogue Relations.  
  3. Vietnam’s then President Mr. Nguyen Xuan Phuc attended the Inaugural Leaders Session of the “Voice of the Global South Summit” hosted by PM Modi on 12 January 2023 and Vietnam's Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Mr. Le Minh Hoan (LMH) participated as a special invitee at the G20 Agricultural Minister’s Meeting held in Hyderabad from 15-17 June 2023 where he met with Commerce & Industry Minister Mr. Piyush Goyal and Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Mr. Narendra Singh Tomar separately. Politburo member, Deputy Secretary of the Party Central Military Commission, Minister of National Defence General Phan Van Giang (PVG) was hosted by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in India in June 2023, where the visiting Minister also called on President of India. Minister of Justice Mr. Nguyen Thanh Long (NTL), during the visit to India from 30 June to 3 July 2023, was hosted by Minister of Law and Justice Mr. Arjun Ram Meghwal and also called on the Hon’ble Vice President Mr. Jagdeep Dhankhar.
  4. Earlier, the Prime Minister of India Mr. Narendra Modi paid an Official Visit to Vietnam on 2-3 September 2016. The then President of India Mr. Ram Nath Kovind paid a State Visit to Vietnam from 18-20 November 2018. The then Vice President of India Mr. M. Venkaiah Naidu visited Vietnam from 09-12 May 2019 to deliver a keynote address at the 16th United Nations Day of Vesak celebration. External Affairs Minister, Smt. Sushma Swaraj visited Vietnam for the 16th Joint Commission Meeting and 3rd Indian Ocean Conference from 26-28 August 2018. 
  5. The General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Mr. Nguyen Phu Trong paid a State Visit to India from 19-22 November 2013. The President of Vietnam Mr. Tran Dai Quang paid a State Visit to India from 02-04 March 2018. The Prime Minister of Vietnam Mr. Nguyen Xuan Phuc visited New Delhi from 24-26 January 2018 to attend ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit-2018 where he was also one of the Chief Guests for India’s Republic Day Celebrations. Vice President of Vietnam Mme. Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh paid an Official Visit to India from 11-13 February 2020. Chairman of National Assembly of Vietnam Mr. Vuong Dinh Hue paid an official visit to India from 15-19 December 2021. 

Institutional mechanisms 

  1. The Joint Commission Meeting at the Foreign Ministers' level and the Foreign Office Consultations and Strategic Dialogue at Secretary-level provide key framework for bilateral dialogue encompassing all areas of mutual interest. The 16th Joint Commission Meeting was held in Hanoi in August 2018 while the 17th round of the meeting held in virtual format on 25 August 2020 was led by the External Affairs Minister of India and the Deputy PM and Foreign Minister of Vietnam. The 12th round of Vice-Ministerial level Foreign Office Consultations and the 9th Strategic Dialogue were held in Hanoi in May 2022.
  2. The 4th meeting of the India-Vietnam Joint Sub-Commission on Trade at Commerce Secretary-Level was held in Hanoi in January 2019. The 13th Defence Secretary-level Annual Defence Policy Dialogue was held virtually on 12 January 2021.  Among other key institutional dialogues, the 3rd India-Vietnam Maritime Security Dialogue was held in May 2023 in India. A nine-member delegation, led by Mr. Trinh Duc Hai, Vice Chairman of the National Boundary Commission, MoFA participated at the 3rd India-Vietnam Maritime Security Dialogue held in New Delhi on 31 May 2023. The 3rd Policy Planning Dialogue between the two Foreign Ministries was held on 8 June 2023 in Hanoi.
  3. The 3rd India-Viet Nam Joint Committee meeting on Atomic Energy Cooperation was held in Hanoi on 25-26 May 2023. An Indian delegation led by Dr. Arun Kumar Nayak, Head of Nuclear Controls & Planning Wing, DAE and the Vietnamese delegation headed by Dr. Tran Chi Thanh, President, Vietnam Atomic Energy Institute (VINATOM) co-chaired the meeting. Indian delegation also paid a courtesy call on Deputy Minister of Science and Technology of Vietnam H.E. Mr. Le Xuan Dinh.
  4. Parliamentary exchanges are an important element of the comprehensive strategic partnership for which the Cooperation Agreement signed between the Lok Sabha and Vietnam’s National Assembly in December 2016 provide the institutional framework. The last exchanges were the visit of the Chairman of National Assembly of Vietnam Mr. Voung Dinh Hue to India from 15-19 December 2021 and the return visit of the Speaker of Lok Sabha of India Mr. Om Birla to Vietnam from 19-21 April 2022. Parliamentary Friendship Group for India in the National Assembly of Vietnam is led by Chairman Mr. Duong Thanh Binh who is also the member of the National Assembly Standing Committee and Chairman of the National Ombudsman Committee. 
  5. TRADE, ECONOMIC AND DEVELOPMET COOPERATION 

Bilateral Trade 

  1. A Joint Sub-Commission on Trade and working level exchanges in specific sectors seek to promote trade, investment and economic cooperation between the two countries.  Bilateral trade between India and Vietnam has seen steady growth over the years. According to Indian data for the financial year April 2022-March 2023, bilateral trade posted a growth of 4 % as compared to 2021-22 and reached US$ 14.70 billion. Indian exports to Vietnam amounted to US$ 5.91 billion while Indian imports from Vietnam amounted to US$ 8.79 billion. Regular exchange of business delegations, participation in exhibition and economic seminars also support economic and business ties.
  2. Main Indian exports to Vietnam include iron and steel, cotton, cereals, meat and fishery products, electrical machinery and equipment, auto parts, articles of stone, cement, plaster, paper and paper articles, inputs for leather articles, organic and inorganic chemicals, pharmaceuticals as well as animal feed. India’s imports from Vietnam mainly comprised of electrical and electronic equipment, inorganic chemicals, machinery and mechanical appliances, articles of plastic, copper and rubber, coffee and tea, spices, iron and steel and their articles, footwear, fertilizers, metals, silk, optical, medical and surgical equipment.

Investments in Vietnam 

  1. India’s investments in Vietnam are estimated at around US$ 1.9 billion including investments routed through third countries. According to Vietnam’s Foreign Investment Agency, as of December 2021, India has 342 projects with total invested capital of over US$ 1 billion in Vietnam. Major sectors of Indian investment are energy, mineral exploration, agro-processing, sugar, tea, coffee manufacturing, agro-chemicals, IT and auto components. Indian Business Chambers (Incham) provides a platform for Indian businesses in Vietnam through its presence in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. 
  2. As of 2021, Vietnam has six investment projects in India with total estimated investment of US$ 28.55 million, primarily in the areas of pharmaceuticals, information technology, chemicals and building materials.

Development Partnership 

  1. India has a long-standing development partnership with Vietnam that has made positive contributions towards capacity building, sustainable development goals and socioeconomic development. Vietnam is also a partner country within the ASEAN framework and Mekong Ganga cooperation mechanism. 

Quick Impact Projects

  1. Under the Mekong Ganga Cooperation framework, India has been undertaking Quick Impact Projects (QIPs) in different provinces of Vietnam to develop community infrastructure at the grassroot level. During the Virtual Summit between the Prime Ministers of India and Vietnam on 21 December 2020, it was decided to raise the number of QIP projects from 05 to 10 per year to be implemented annually in Vietnam. So far, since 2017, 37 QIPs have been completed in 23 provinces of Vietnam and another 10 projects are under implementation in 10 provinces. 
  2. In addition, 7 grant-in-aid assistance projects in Ninh Thuan province were completed in December 2020 with an outlay of around US$ 1.54 million. India has also provided technical assistance valued at US$ 2.25 million for conservation and restoration of the world heritage Site of ‘My Son’ in Quang Nam Province of Central Vietnam, showcasing the historical links between the two countries. A formal ceremony to mark the completion of conservation and restoration of this world heritage sites (A, H and K group of temples) by the Archaeological Survey of India was held on 20 December 2022 at the My Son complex site in Quang Nam province.

III.      DEFENCE PARTNERSHIP

  1. Defence and security cooperation between India and Vietnam is an important pillar of the comprehensive strategic partnership with periodic exchanges among defence and security establishments of the two countries. A Memorandum of Understanding on Defence Cooperation signed between the Ministries of Defence in 2009 and the Joint Vision on Defence Cooperation signed by the Defence Ministers in 2015 provided the institutional framework. The visit of India’s Defence Minister Mr. Rajnath Singh to Vietnam in June 2022 progressed the defence cooperation, including by the signing of a new "Joint Vision Statement on India-Vietnam Defence Partnership towards 2030” and a “Memorandum of Understanding on Mutual Logistics Support”. Defence Minister Mr. Rajnath Singh and his Vietnamese counterpart Minister of National Defence Gen. Phan Van Giang met  on the sidelines of ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) Retreat on 22 November in Siem Reap, Cambodia. 
  2. Minister of National Defence of Vietnam Gen. Phan Van Giang paid an official visit to India on 18-19 June 2023. He held talks with his counterpart Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on 19 June and called on Hon’ble President of India Smt. Droupadi Murmu. The gifting of indigenously built missile corvette INS Kirpan to Vietnam was announced during the visit and the transfer is planned in July 2023.
  3. CULTURAL, ACADEMIC, AND PROVINCIAL LEVEL COOPERATION
  4. The two countries also have regular exchanges at the level of provinces, academic and thinktank institutions and youth delegations. Some of the recent exchanges between India and Vietnam includes the People’s Committee of Khanh Hoa Province, led by Mr. Le Huu Hoang, Standing Vice Chairman, People’s Committee of Khanh Hoa Province to New Delhi and Kolkata from 10 – 17 September 2022;  a 19-member delegation of Party Committee of Binh Duong Province, headed by Mr. Nguyen Hoang Thao, Deputy Secretary of Party Committee of Binh Duong Province to India on 24-25 September 2022; and  a 15-member delegation from Ben Tre Province, led by Mr. Tran Ngoc Tam, Chairman, People’s Committee of Ben Tre Province to India from 29 October to 04 November 2022.  The Vietnam Institute for Indian and South-West Asian Studies (VIISAS) under the Vietnam Academy of Social Science and the Centre for Indian Studies at the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics are among the key centres in Vietnam focused on Indian studies and academic cooperation with Indian institutions.  From India a Chief Secretary of the Tripura State Government led a 05-member delegation from the State of Tripura to Ho Chi Minh City; a 05-member delegation from Kerala State Government visited HCMC from 24-29 August 2022; a 02-member delegation from Rajasthan State Government, headed by Mr. Om Prakash Kasera, Commissioner visited HCMC from 13- 17 September 2022.
  5. EDUCATIONAL AND TRAINING EXCHANGES 

22 Vietnam is an important partner under Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme through short-term courses in Indian institutions to about 200 participants annually. Indian Council of Cultural Relations also offers nearly 50 scholarships to Vietnamese students and scholars every year and the offer of PhD fellowship programme for ASEAN countries has also received interest in Vietnam.

  1. TOURISM 
  2. Following the decline of Covid-19 disruptions and the resumption of direct flights between the two countries in May 2022, two-way tourism and people-to-people exchanges are receiving a new boost. Direct flights by Indigo, Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet Air connect at least four cities on both sides (Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad in India and Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang and Phu Quoc in Vietnam). A simplified visa regime offering e-Visa in both direction supports travel and tourism in both the countries for leisure, business and cultural purposes. It is estimated that over 125,000 Indians travelled to Vietnam in 2022.
  3. The Swami Vivekananda Indian Cultural Centre (SVCC) was established in Hanoi in September 2016 to promote further understanding of India and to foster closer links between people of the two countries through cultural exchanges. The Centre organizes cultural programmes, seminars, photo exhibitions, film screenings, lectures, workshops in varied areas such as Yoga, Indian classical dance, art and philosophy, languages, traditional medicine, shared Buddhist and Cham heritage etc. SVCC has a collection of over 2,500 books, magazines, CDs and DVDs on various aspects of Indian art, culture, nature, tourism etc.  SVCC also engages with universities, academia, art institutes and friendship organisations of Vietnam.

Other People-level exchanges

  1. Mahatma@150 Under the “India for Humanity” initiative coinciding with the two countries have held at least four of artificial limb fitment programmes (Jaipur Foot) in Vinh Phuc, Quang Ninh and Yen Bai provinces in Vietnam in the past. Another seminar camp was organized in Phu Yen Province from 6 December 2022 where Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti (BMVSS) made free of charge the world-famous Jaipur to provide prostheses for about 300 lower limb amputees. 
  2. Yoga is popular among the people of Vietnam and the Embassy and the Consulate General of India in partnership with local authroities has been orgnaizing International Day of Yoga at multiple locations in Vietnam in June every year.  This year, the Embassy and the Consulate General of India in Ho Chi Minh City in collaboration with the local authorities have been organizing the 9th International Day of Yoga celebrations in 35 locations in Vietnam. 

Indian Community in Vietnam

  1. Nearly 6000 persons from India, including short-term visitors, constitute the Indian community in Vietnam. Majority of them are based in and around Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) in the southern part of Vietnam with some presence in and around Hanoi. Most of the community members are professionals employed in business and trading companies and sectors such as IT, hotels/restaurants, mining, yoga institutions, civil aviation and schools.  Indian businesses such as ONGC Videsh Limited, Bank of India, Bharat Electronics Limited, HCL Technologies and a few others have presence in Vietnam. 

*** 

[ July 2023]

 

 

Compilation of high-level visits between India and Vietnam

Sr. No

Name/Designation

Date of visit

Purpose

Vietnam to India

  1.  

Prime Minister Mr. Pham Van Dong

April 1955

Visited India on the way to Bandung Conference

  1.  

State President Mr. Ho Chi Minh 

5-14 February 1958

First historic visit to India

  1.  

Prime Minister Mr. Pham Van Dong

February 1978

Official visit

  1.  

Prime Minister Mr. Pham Van Dong 

April 1980

Official visit

  1.  

General Secretary of CPV Mr. Le Duan

21-26 September 1984

Official visit

  1.  

General Secretary of CPV Mr. Nguyen Van Linh 

23-28 January 1989

Official visit

  1.  

General Secretary of CPV Mr. Do Muoi 

8-13 September 1992

Official visit

  1.  

General Secretary of CPV Mr. Do Muoi

July 1995

Official visit

  1.  

Prime Minister Mr. Vo Van Kiet 

7-9 March 1997

Official visit

  1.  

State President Mr. Tran Duc Luong

December 1999

Official visit

  1.  

Vice President of Vietnam Mr. Nguyen Thi Binh 

March 2002

 

  1.  

General Secretary of CPV Mr. Nong Duc Manh 

29 April – 2 May 2003

Official visit

  1.  

Prime Minister Mr. Nguyen Tan Dung

4-6 July 2007

State visit

  1.  

Vice President of Vietnam Mr. Nguyen Thi Doan

30 September – 5 October 2009

 

  1.  

State President Truong Tan Sang

11-13 October 2011

State visit

  1.  

General Secretary of CPV Mr. Nguyen Phu Trong 

19-22 November 2013

State visit

  1.  

Prime Minister Mr. Nguyen Tan Dung 

27-29 October 2014

Official visit

  1.  

Prime Minister Mr. Nguyen Xuan Phuc

24-26 January 2018

ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit

  1.  

State President Mr. Tran Dai Quang 

2-4 March 2018

State visit

  1.  

Vice President of Vietnam Mr. Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh 

11-13 February 2020

 

India to Vietnam

  1.  

Prime Minister Mr. Jawaharlal Nehru 

October 1954

First foreign politician to visit Vietnam after liberation

  1.  

Vice President Mr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan

September 1957

 

  1.  

President Mr. Rajendra Prasad

March 1959

Official visit

  1.  

Prime Minister Mr. Rajiv Gandhi 

November 1985

Official visit

  1.  

Prime Minister Mr. Rajiv Gandhi 

April 1988

Visited Vietnam 

  1.  

Prime Minister Mr. Rajiv Gandhi 

December 1988

Official visit

  1.  

President Mr. R. Venkataraman 

April 1991

Official visit

  1.  

Vice President Mr. K. R. Narayanan

September 1993

Official visit

  1.  

Prime Minister Mr. S. Narasimha Rao 

September 1994

Official visit

  1.  

Prime Minister Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee 

January 2001

Official visit

  1.  

President Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil 

24-28 November 2008

Official visit

  1.  

President Mr. Pranab Mukherjee

16-17 September 2014

State visit

  1.  

Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi

2-3 September 2016

Official visit

  1.  

President Mr.  Ram Nath Kovind 

18-20 November 2018

State visit

  1.  

Vice President Mr. Venkaiah Naidu 

9-12 May 2019

Vesak Celebration