President receives Indian Minister for Parliamentary and Minority Affairs

President Luong Cuong receives Indian Minister for Parliamentary and Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju. Photo: VPCTN

At the meeting, the President welcomed Minister Kiren Rijiju, representing the Government of India, to attend the Vesak Festival held in Vietnam for the fourth time; and especially thanked the Minister for bringing the Buddha's relics, India's sacred national treasure, to Vietnam, contributing to spreading the spiritual and ideological values that Buddha left to humanity, demonstrating the long-standing cultural and religious ties between the two countries from thousands of years ago.

On behalf of the leaders of the Party and State of Vietnam, President Luong Cuong sent his regards to the President, Prime Minister and leaders of India, affirming that Vietnam always remembers and appreciates the sentiments and wholehearted help that the Indian people have given Vietnam in the past struggle for national independence as well as in the current cause of national construction and development.

The President highly appreciated the traditional friendship between Vietnam and India, which was cultivated by President Ho Chi Minh, Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, and generations of leaders and people of the two countries, becoming a priceless common asset for future generations to continue to preserve and promote.

Minister Kiren Rijiju expressed his honor to have a special visit, accompanying the Buddha's relics to be enshrined in several provinces and cities of Vietnam and congratulated Vietnam on successfully organizing the United Nations' Great Day.

The Minister said he had attended Vesak celebrations in many places, but he greatly admired the large-scale, methodical and thoughtful organization of the host Vietnam at this celebration.

Minister Kiren Rijiju emphasized that Vietnam and India have had a long-standing connection through Buddhism, expressing his joy that today the relationship between the two countries has developed strongly in almost all fields, from politics, economy, culture and society. On this occasion, the Minister once again sent congratulations from the Indian Leaders to the Leaders of the Party, State and people of Vietnam on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification (April 30, 1975 - April 30, 2025) and expressed his emotion at the resilient, indomitable and courageous fighting spirit of the Vietnamese people during the resistance war.

President Luong Cuong expressed his delight at the strong development of the Vietnam-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership; welcomed the two sides to continue strengthening bilateral relations through high-level visits and other levels, effectively implementing cooperation mechanisms, signed agreements and cooperation documents; and suggested that the two countries increase exchanges and share experiences in the legislative field, especially experiences in removing legal bottlenecks to promote growth in both countries.

President Luong Cuong receives Indian Minister for Parliamentary and Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju. Photo: VPCTN

President Luong Cuong and Minister Kiren Rijiju also agreed that the two countries need to further promote cooperation in the fields of economics, trade and investment, commensurate with the potential of the two countries as well as the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership; at the same time, further expand cooperation in defense, security, education, science and technology, culture, tourism and people-to-people exchange.

Minister Kiren Rijiju suggested that the two sides actively implement the approved defense cooperation projects under India's $500 million line of credit for Vietnam and strengthen cooperation within the framework of the agreement on peaceful nuclear energy cooperation between the two countries.

Agreeing with the President on the need to further strengthen coordination and mutual support at multilateral forums, Minister Kiren Rijiju thanked Vietnam for its decision to join the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) and is completing formal procedures to join the International Solar Alliance (ISA).

Minister Kiren Rijiju also reaffirmed India's consistent policy of continuing to promote the "Act East" policy, considering ASEAN, including Vietnam, as a pillar in India's foreign policy.

Regarding the East Sea issue, the Minister emphasized that India's stance on the issue is consistent and India has repeatedly voiced its support for the principle of respecting international law, including the United Nations Charter and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The President agreed that in the complicated and changing world situation, the two countries need to continue to coordinate well and consult each other on multilateral issues, for the interests of both countries as well as contributing to peace, stability and development in the region and the world.

Source: https://vpctn.gov.vn/tin-tuc-su-kien/chu-tich-nuoc-tiep-bo-truong-cac-van-de-nghi-vien-va-dan-toc-thieu-so-an-do.html