At a meeting with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Hai congratulated the state on its recent socio-economic achievements. He recalled the special historical bond between Vietnam and West Bengal, noting that President Ho Chi Minh visited the state three times in 1911, 1946, and 1958.

The Ambassador expressed Vietnam’s hope to strengthen cooperation with West Bengal in areas such as aquaculture and seafood processing, food processing technology, and port development, especially given the existence of direct flights between Kolkata and Hanoi/Ho Chi Minh City, as well as direct maritime routes connecting Kolkata with major Vietnamese ports.

He also proposed enhancing people-to-people ties, tourism cooperation, cultural exchanges, and establishing a sister-city relationship between Kolkata and a Vietnamese locality.

Welcoming these proposals, Chief Minister Banerjee highlighted Kolkata’s strategic role as the largest city in eastern India and a key gateway to Southeast Asia. She expected to receive Vietnamese business delegations at major investment summits in the state, while encouraging Vietnamese companies to explore investment opportunities in West Bengal.

She also supported initiatives to boost cultural cooperation, art exchange, and the organisation of film festivals between the two sides.

As part of the visit, Ambassador Hai attended an India - Vietnam trade and investment promotion session organised by the Bharat Chamber of Commerce. Speaking at the gathering, he called on Indian businesses to strengthen cooperation with Vietnam by actively participating in bilateral trade fairs and investment events, and by taking advantage of direct air and sea connections. He also proposed the establishment of a Vietnam-focused working group and a Vietnam–West Bengal innovation forum to promote collaboration in science, technology, and innovation.

During his trip, the Ambassador also visited and held talks with the Indo - Vietnam Solidarity Committee in Kolkata. He affirmed that Vietnam’s representative agencies in India would always accompany the committee in fostering people-to-people relations between the two countries.

In his remarks, Md Salim, chairman of the Committee and Politburo member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), praised Vietnam’s dynamic development and reaffirmed the committee’s continued solidarity with Vietnam, just as it had supported the country during its past struggle for independence. He also put forward several suggestions to further deepen multi-faceted relations between West Bengal and Vietnam.

West Bengal is currently India’s sixth largest economy, contributing over 6% of the national GDP. It is a major economic, financial, and cultural hub of eastern India, with strengths in agriculture, processing industries, and mining. Its rich cultural and literary traditions, along with its economic potential, offer great opportunities for practical and effective cooperation between Vietnam and West Bengal in the years ahead.

Vietnam hands over APG Chairmanship to India in Vienna

VOV.VN - Ambassador Vu Le Thai Hoang, head of the Permanent Mission of Vietnam to the United Nations and other international organisations in Vienna, Austria, has handed over the Chairmanship of the Asia-Pacific Group (APG) in Vienna to Ambassador Shambhu Kumaran, head of the Indian Mission.