Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung. |
He said that since Vietnam took over the role of coordinator for ASEAN-India relations in 2015, bilateral political ties have unceasingly been strengthened through dialogue and cooperative mechanisms at all levels.
“Vietnam has made tremendous contributions to maintaining high-level dialogue mechanisms. Half of the ASEAN-India action plan for 2016-2020 has been implemented. At Vietnam’s proposal, the two sides have defined 26 priorities to effectively carry out plans of action. Vietnam has proposed a new form of cooperation called ‘green sea-based economy’, which aims to boost marine economic cooperation and protect the marine environment,” Dung said.
He stressed that Prime Minister Phuc’s visit has elevated Vietnam-India relations. Both sides agreed to double two-way trade to 15 billion USD by 2020. India consistently regards Vietnam as an important pillar in its Act East policy, Dung said.