Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee and Politburo member Le
Thanh Hai on March 14 paid a courtesy call to Indian President Pranab
Mukherjee, affirming that his city always considers India as one of
its top partners and investors.
Hai is leading a
high-ranking delegation from the city that is in India from March 13
at the invitation of the President of the India-Vietnam Friendship
Association, aiming to further increase ties between the two countries,
and between the city and Indian localities.
During
the meeting, he emphasised that Vietnamese people always remember the
warm sentiments and whole-hearted support India gave to Vietnam
during its past struggle for independence as well as the recent national
defence and development cause.
Hai said he hopes
President Mukherjee will continue to support the strengthening of
cooperation between Ho Chi Minh City and Indian localities to help
improve the friendship and strategic partnership between Vietnam and
India.
President Mukherjee was delighted that the
strategic partnership between the two countries has developed
significantly in all fields, including politics, economics, security,
defence, culture, education and training, and science and technology.
He expressed his belief that Hai and his delegation’s
visit will help boost bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
The same day, Hai met General Secretary of the
Communist Party of India (CPI) Sudkhar Reddy to discuss ways to
strengthen the exchange of experience in Party operations, building and
development.
Also on March 14, Hai and his delegation met the President of the India-Vietnam Friendship Association.
The two sides expressed their pleasure at the successful activities
celebrating the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two
countries.
Particularly, sectors and ministries of
the two sides have accelerated the opening of a direct air route linking
Ho Chi Minh City and India, which will boost cooperation in trade,
investment and tourism between the two countries, they said.-VNA