Amid steadily strengthening ties between Vietnam and India, the State visit to India by Party General Secretary and President To Lam is expected to inject fresh momentum into the two countries’ Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, opening new avenues for deeper cooperation across multiple sectors.
On this occasion, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Vietnam to India, concurrently accredited to Nepal and Bhutan Nguyen Thanh Hai, shared his assessment of the significance of the visit and the prospects for bilateral cooperation in the time ahead.
A visit of historic significance
Ambassador Nguyen Thanh Hai emphasized that the visit is of historic importance, marking the first time a General Secretary and President of Vietnam has paid a State visit to India. Notably, the visit takes place shortly after the successful conclusion of the 14th National Party Congress and the consolidation of key leadership positions by Vietnam’s National Assembly. This underscores Vietnam’s high regard for India as a close friend and a Comprehensive Strategic Partner.
The trip further embodies Vietnam’s foreign policy line defined at the 14th Party Congress, emphasizing independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation, and development, as well as the diversification and multilateralization of its foreign relations.
It provides an important opportunity to further strengthen ties between the two countries’ leaders and ruling parties, while enhancing comprehensive connectivity among ministries, agencies, localities, and businesses. These efforts are expected to support each country’s development goals and contribute positively to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and beyond.
Notable achievements in bilateral cooperation
According to Ambassador Nguyen Thanh Hai, India was among the first countries to establish a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Vietnam. Over the past decade, bilateral relations have grown in a substantive and comprehensive manner, becoming one of the most dynamic and effective cooperation frameworks in the region.
Political ties have been continuously reinforced, with growing mutual trust. Leaders of both countries maintain regular exchanges, including bilateral visits and meetings on the sidelines of international conferences, demonstrating strong political commitment to the partnership. In addition, numerous visits by leaders of ministries, agencies, and localities have further strengthened bilateral cooperation, supported by more than 20 cooperation mechanisms.
Tourism has emerged as a bright spot, with Vietnam becoming an increasingly attractive destination for Indian travelers. In 2025 alone, Vietnam welcomed approximately 746,000 Indian visitors, marking a 50 percent increase compared to 2024 and nearly four times the figure recorded in 2019.
Defense and security cooperation has continued to expand in both scope and depth, featuring diverse and practical forms of collaboration. Meanwhile, economic, trade, and investment ties have become increasingly vibrant. Bilateral trade reached a record high of US$16.46 billion in 2025, up 10.5 percent from 2024 and approximately 2.5 times higher than in 2016 when the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership was established. India is now among Vietnam’s top eight trading partners.
In terms of investment, as of the end of 2025, India had 473 valid projects in Vietnam with a total registered capital of around US$1.1 billion. Conversely, Vietnamese enterprises have begun expanding their presence in India through large-scale projects, notably an electric-vehicle manufacturing project in Tamil Nadu with a planned investment of up to US$1 billion.
