Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son and his Indian counterpart S. Jaishankar within the framework of the 56th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM-56) in Jakarta, Indonesia, on July 12. (Photo: WVR/Tuan Anh)

During the meeting on July 12, the two Foreign Ministers praised the strong developments in the comprehensive strategic partnership, especially in the fields of economics and trade. The two sides agreed to carefully plan high-level delegation exchange events and successfully implement existing cooperation mechanisms, including the Vietnam-India Joint Commission on Economic, Trade, Scientific, and Technological Cooperation.

The Joint Commission mechanism has been continuously upheld by the two countries since it was established in 1982. The Joint Commission’s recent meeting, its 17th session, was held online on August 25, 2020. The two countries reviewed the implementation of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership over the past two years (since the 16^th meeting held in August 2018 in Hanoi) and proposed new measures and directions for cooperation, towards the 50^th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries (on January 7, 1972-2022).

Accordingly, after more than three years, the heads of Foreign Ministers of Vietnam and India are prepared to co-chair the Joint Commission’s next session. Remarkably, on the occasion of attending the Special ASEAN-India Foreign Ministers' Meeting in New Delhi in June 2022, Minister Bui Thanh Son invited his counterpart from the host country to visit Vietnam and co-host the 18th session of the Vietnam - India Joint Commission on Economic, Trade, Scientific, and Technological Cooperation.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son and his Indian counterpart S. Jaishankar visit the Tran Quoc pagoda in Hanoi on October 15. (Photo: WVR/Tuan Viet)

The presence of Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City from October 15 to 17, 2023 is clearly seen as a part of the delegation exchange, high-level contact, and furthered political trust between the two countries. In less than four months, Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi have met twice (at the expanded G7 Summit in Hiroshima, Japan on May 20 and at the 43^rd ASEAN Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia on September 7). With extensive strategic cooperation efforts, defense and security cooperation has emerged as a key component. In the first half of the year, both Vietnam's Minister of Defense and Minister of Public Security paid official visits to the Ganges country.

Two-way trade turnover between Vietnam and India reached a record of more than 15 billion USD by 2022, surpassing the goal set by the two countries’ senior leaders. Just four years after the first direct flight (in 2019), there are currently more than 50 direct flights per week linking major cities of the two countries. Those “speaking” numbers show how enormous potential for cooperation between India and its "close and trusted partner," as Minister S. Jaishankar described it at the Celebration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries on June 17, 2022 at the Vietnamese Embassy headquarters in New Delhi.

Late Prime Minister Pham Van Dong (1906-2000) once affirmed that the relationship between Vietnam and India is “as clear as a cloudless sky”. That comment still retains its meaning in the current regional and world situation, when competition with major powers continues to become complicated, leading to tensions, political conflicts, as well as extensive hot spots. Addressing the 77th Anniversary of the Independence Day of the Republic of India on August 16 in Hanoi, Minister Bui Thanh Son emphasized that the close friendship between the two peoples has been proven over time and has become a model in relations between countries around the world.

In order to promote the endless “role-model” relationship, Mr. Bui Thanh Son will have further discussions as this is the first time he has co-chaired the Vietnam-India Joint Commission with distinguished guests from the largest country in the South Asian subcontinent in the next two busy days.