VOV.VN - An Indian delegation led by Pallab Sengupta, Politburo member of the Communist Party of India and General Secretary of the All India Peace and Solidarity Organisation (AIPSO) is on a visit to Vietnam to attend the 10th Vietnam-India People’s Friendship Festival.

Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh on August 12 hosted a reception in Hanoi for the delegation, during which Thinh hailed the role of people-to-people exchange in fostering the friendship between the two countries as well as the major efforts by the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations, the Vietnam-India Friendship Association and the AIPSO in holding the festival. 

 She voiced her hope that these organisations will make greater contributions to materializing the Vietnam-India comprehensive strategic partnership, and developing the bilateral friendship and cooperation. 

Vietnam and India became strategic partners in 2007 and lift their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2016, Thinh said, adding that India is one of Vietnam’s 10 biggest trade partners while Vietnam is one of the top priority partners in India’s Act East policy. She also showed her elation at the all-round development of the bilateral friendship.

 Sengupta, in turn, said the bilateral cooperation is growing steadily in multiple realms, ranging from economics, trade and investment to national defence and security, science, education, culture, tourism and agriculture. 

India always places importance on relations with Vietnam, the Indian official said, calling on both nations to intensify people-to-people exchange in the future in order to reinforce solidarity and equality, and offer optimal conditions for cultural and social development.