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| State President Truong Tan Sang (R) and Director General of the Indian Council of World Affairs Rajiv K.Bathia, Hanoi, July 18, 2012 |
State President Truong Tan Sang made the statement at a reception in Hanoi on July 18 for Mr. Rajiv K.Bathia, Director General of the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA), the think-tank of the Indian foreign ministry.
The State President thanked India for providing its official development assistance (ODA) to Vietnam and noted that bilateral trade ties are growing considerably, but have yet to meet their potential.
He expressed his belief that the upcoming launch of a direct air route between Hanoi and New Delhi will help boost bilateral trade and cultural cooperation.
Mr. Bathia briefed President Sang on the result of a recent workshop on the Vietnam-India strategic partnership in Hanoi, and said Indian scholars and researchers highly valued the partnership with Vietnam.
He said following the workshop the Indian scholars will work with their Vietnamese counterparts to publish research projects on Vietnam-India relations. He asked for support from the Vietnamese government in completing the work.
The diplomat thanked Vietnam’s support for India in regional and international forums, and hoped Vietnam will facilitate Indian businesses’ operations in the country./.