Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong

(VOVworld) – Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has said that Vietnam and India have grounds to be pleased with their fruitful bilateral ties. Trong told India’s News Agency PTI ahead of his state-level visit to India beginning on Tuesday that he believed in further development of the relationship. According to the party leader, one of main purposes of his visit is to seek practical and effective measures to deepen the Vietnam-India strategic partnership for their people’s benefit. Regarding Vietnam’s foreign policy, Trong reiterated Vietnam’s unswerving policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, cooperation, development and proactive international integration as a reliable friend and partner of countries and a responsible member of the international community. Vietnam wants more in-depth integration into the world economy through its participation in the building of the ASEAN Community, negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, joining UN peace keeping forces, running for membership of the UN Human Rights Council for the 2014-2016 term and hosting the 2017 APEC summit. Concerning the cooperation between India and ASEAN, Trong said ASEAN respected and appreciated India’s active role in the ASEAN Regional Forum, and the East Asia Summit as well as its viewpoints on the East Sea issues and strong support for the formation of the ASEAN Community. Party leader Trong pledged Vietnam’s optimal efforts to contribute to strengthening the ASEAN-India strategic partnership.

Meanwhile, Indian Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid has told the Vietnam News Agency in New Delhi that Vietnam has become a pillar of India’s “Look East” policy. He stressed India’s belief that the visit by Party leader Nguyen Phu Trong will mark a turning point in the two countries’ strategic partnership.