Promotion of Vietnam–India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership
| DOI | 10.1177/0020881718790888 |
| Published date | 01 January 2017 |
| Date | 01 January 2017 |
| Subject Matter | Commentary |
Promotion of Vietnam–
India Comprehensive
Strategic Partnership
Ngo Xuan Binh1
Nguyen Tuan Anh2
Abstract
The long-standing traditional friendship between Vietnam and India was founded
in the early decades of the twentieth century by Ho Chi Minh and Jawaharlal
Nehru. Although diplomatic relations were established in 1972, the relationship
has been termed now as ‘comprehensive strategic partnership’. For India,
Vietnam is an important pillar of its Look East Policy and Vietnam considers India
a strategic partner in its foreign policy with big powers. The article outlines some
of recommendations which can promote this partnership.
Keywords
Look east, act east, pillar, partnership
Initiated in 1991, the Look East Policy marked a strategic shift in India’s foreign
policy. As a highly practical and flexible part of India’s new foreign policy, it was
an effort made by the Indian Government to further integrate India with the neigh-
bouring countries in the east. This policy was initiated during the tenure of Prime
Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao and has been continued by the governments of Atal
Bihari Vajpayee, Manmohan Singh and Narendra Modi.
In the first phase of India’s Look East Policy, the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations (ASEAN) had a central position and the focus was on trade and
investment links. India–ASEAN bilateral relations were enhanced rapidly. India
became ASEAN’s sectoral partner in March 1993 in the fields of trade, invest-
ment and tourism. India became ASEAN’s full partner in 1995 and a member of
ASEAN Regional Forum in July 1996, and finally became partner at Summit
level in 2002.
Commentary
International Studies
54(1–4) 250–255
2018 Jawaharlal Nehru University
SAGE Publications
sagepub.in/home.nav
DOI: 10.1177/0020881718790888
http://journals.sagepub.com/home/isq
1 Institute for Indian & Southwest Asian Studies, Hanoi, Vietnam.
2 Vietnam Hanoi, Vietnam.
Corresponding author:
Ngo Xuan Binh, Institute for Indian & Southwest Asian Studies, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam.
E-mail: vniisas@gmail.com
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