As PM Narendra Modi attributed during his visit to Vietnam in 2014, Vietnam had been in the frontrunner of India’s engagement in the region. Both countries committed to share common concerns of security, sovereignty, territorial integrity and maintaining rules-based order, specifically in the Indo-Pacific region. On the lines of common understanding and mutual interests, India and Vietnam entered into a ‘Comprehensive Strategic Partnership’ during the landmark visit of Modi to Vietnam in September 2016.

Prime Minister Modi asserted on different occasions that Vietnam is an important pillar of India’s Act East Policy and is an important partner in India’s Indo-Pacific vision.

Vietnam-India relations have seen steady expansions over the past years, especially since the two countries upgraded their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2016. India-Vietnam bilateral efforts have brought many more interesting and effective results since 2014 in different spheres of mutual interests. Bilateral trade has crossed US$ 14.0 billion for the first time as against the trade in 2013-14 was only US$ 8.0. The tourism sector has registered tremendous growth of annual visitors to Vietnam and vis-à-vis. Indian visitors to Vietnam rose from 82,000 in 2016 to 169,000 in 2019. Direct flights are connecting different major cities of India and Vietnam for the first time.

Full article by Prof. G. Jayachandra Reddy - former Director, Centre for Southeast Asian and Pacific Studies, Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati, see more at: Vietnam is central to India’s Act East policy - The Sunday Guardian Live