The event was attended by Sri Pallab Sengupta, Secretary General of AIPSO; K. Srikar Reddy, Consul-General of India in HCM City; Ha Minh Hue, Vice President of the Vietnam-India Friendship Association (VIFA); and representatives from the Indian community living and working in HCM City.
In his opening remarks, President of the VIFA's HCM City chapter Huynh Thanh Lap highlighted the significance of August 15, 1947, in the history of India, saying that the day marked the birth of an independent sovereign India and initiated the process of building India into a developed, prosperous, modern country and one of the most influential and dynamic powers in the region and the world today.
Vietnam and India have a long-standing traditional relationship that originates from trade, cultural and art exchanges along with religious relations, and have been cultivated by generations of leaders of the two countries, especially after the two sides upgraded their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2016, Lap said.
The two countries have confirmed that they are always trusted and close friends to each other with fine relations in the fields of politics, economy, culture, science and technology, space research, and defence and security, meeting the potential and position of each country, he added.
The official thanked the Indian Consulate-General in HCM City for cooperating with and supporting HUFO and VIFA to successfully organise the peace, solidarity, friendship and trade promotion activities in the city. He also congratulated the success of the AIPSO delegation’s Vietnam visit, which, he said, contributed actively to enhancing solidarity and friendship between the people of Vietnam and India.
Addressing the ceremony, Consul-General of India in HCM City, K. Srikar Reddy, emphasised Vietnam as a strong pillar in India’s Look East policy. He spoke highly of the support from HUFO and VIFA to the Indian Consulate-General and Indian businesses association in organising socio-cultural events in the city, thus contributing to furthering mutual understanding and promoting solidarity and friendship between the two countries’ peoples.
He revealed that in the coming time, Vietnam and India plan to launch direct air routes from Hanoi to Kolkata and from Hanoi and HCM City to New Delhi, which will work to accelerate trade, tourism and people-to-people exchanges between the two sides.
Earlier, AIPSO Secretary-General Sri Pallab Sengupta and VIFA Vice President Ha Minh Hue informed participants of the outcomes of the 10th Vietnam-India People’s Friendship Festival in Ninh Binh province.
