What is in news : Vietnam will open its first Indian consul office in Bengaluru

Details :

• Industrialist N S Srinivasa Murthy has been named the honorary consul of Vietnam for Karnataka
• Consul will help improve investment ties between the two countries. Pharmaceuticals, automobile spare parts manufacturing and IT are potential sectors for collaboration
• Recently 76th National Day reception of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in the city

VIETNAM

• Southeast Asian country
• Known for its beaches, rivers, Buddhist pagodas and bustling cities
• Capital – Hanoi
• Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) has French colonial landmarks, plus Vietnamese War history museums and the Củ Chi tunnels, used by Viet Cong soldiers
• National animal – Water Buffalo
• National flower – Lotus

INDIA – VIETNAM

Significance of the Relationship:

• India’s first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was one of the first visitors to Vietnam after its victory against the French at Dien Bien Phu in 1954.
• Vietnam is a strategic pillar of India’s Act East Policy, and key interlocutor in ASEAN.
• Over the years, political contacts have strengthened as reflected in several high-level visits by leaders from both sides.
• India’s thrust under the ‘Act East’ policy combined with Vietnam’s growing engagement within the region and with India has paid rich dividends.
• India and Vietnam closely cooperate in various regional forums such as ASEAN, East Asia Summit, Mekong Ganga Cooperation, Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM) besides UN and WTO.
• Both India and Vietnam possess the capacity to find compatibility in areas promoting defence cooperation and infrastructure simultaneously.
• Vietnam, which is under maritime pressure from China’s activities in the South China Sea (SCS), wants India to deepen its military engagement further.
• India and Vietnam closely cooperate in various regional forums such as ASEAN, East Asia Summit, Mekong Ganga Cooperation, Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM) besides UN and WTO.
• The India-Vietnam Joint Statement of March 2018 reiterates the focus given to sub-regionalism.
• Vietnam opposed the “Quad” or quadrilateral coalition among India, the US, Japan and Australia.

Bilateral Relations:

• Cultural and economic links between India and Vietnam date back to 2nd century.
• India and Vietnam have robust trade and economic relations with bilateral trade of USD 12.8 billion in 2017-18.
• Trade and economic linkages continue to grow.
• Defence Cooperation has emerged as a significant pillar of India’s strategic partnership with Vietnam.
• Military exchanges between India and Vietnam are quite robust. The two sides conducted their first-ever bilateral land warfare and naval exercises in early 2018.
• Indian ships regularly make friendly port calls to Vietnam.
• For the first time, a Vietnamese ship participated in the International Fleet Review at Vishakhapatnam, in February 2016.
• The Indian Business Chamber (INCHAM) is an organisation of Indians living in Vietnam, primarily to promote trade and business interactions.
• The Indian Cultural Centre was opened in Hanoi in September 2016, with the objective of strengthening India’s cultural presence in Vietnam.