The Indian Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City will hold a range of cultural exchange, and trade, investment and tourism promotion programmes in 2023, aiming to foster the ties between India and Vietnam, said Indian Consul General Madan Mohan Sethi at a press briefing in the city on May 30.

The diplomat said that last year, the two sides jointly organised many activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between the two countries. To further promote the India-Vietnam ties in general and the relations between India and southern localities of Vietnam in particular, the Indian Consulate General in HCM City has planned many other activities to strengthen connections between the two communities, he said.

He noted that over the past year, the Indian Consulate General organised 20 trade promotion events with the participation of 600 Indian firms in HCM City and southern localities such as Khanh Hoa, Binh Duong and Dong Nai, while connecting Indian businesses and trade associations in different areas with the localities.

He highlighted the cooperation potential between the two countries in culture, education, health care and tourism. Last year, about 140,000 Indian tourists travelled Vietnam. The number is expected to reach about 500,000 this year. The Indian Consulate General is working with Khanh Hoa, Lam Dong and Ninh Thuan provinces to promote tourism cooperation.

India will also foster linkages with Vietnam through Buddhism and Yoga, he said, adding that this year, India will coordinate with the Vietnam Yoga Federation to hold a Yoga Day in 22 Vietnamese localities.

In terms of education, last year, the Consulate General organised more than 30 online and in-person meetings, conferences and seminars with Vietnamese universities and academies. This year, the agency will continue to work with universities in HCM City and other localities to strengthen education cooperation.

It also plans a seminar on cardiovascular diseases in HCM City with the participation of doctors from India, opening up opportunities to foster bilateral collaboration in health care, he said.

Highlighting trust and mutual respect as the key factor in the close and long-lasting ties between the two countries, the diplomat expressed his belief that the activities ahead will contribute to lifting up the special friendship between the two nations to a new height./.