Vietnam - India: 50 years of cooperation

Vietnam and India boast a long-standing friendship. In the modern time, the foundation of their friendship was set up by the two preeminent leaders - President Ho Chi Minh and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru - when Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru paid a visit to Vietnam on October 17, 1954, right after Hanoi capital had been liberated, and President Ho Chi Minh made a friendship visit to India in February 1958.

Through ups and downs in history, the sound traditional friendship between Vietnam and India has always been nurtured, consolidated and developed to a new level by generations of the two countries’ leaders and people in the interests of both sides, and it has been developing well across all fields.

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic relations (January 7, 1972 - January 7, 2022) and five years since the establishment of their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (2016 - 2021), the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) has coordinated with the Indian Embassy in Vietnam and the Vietnam-India Friendship Association to organize a virtual photo exhibition on the theme “Vietnam - India: 50 years of cooperation”.

The display features 50 black-and-white and color archive photos of the VNA, the Indian Embassy in Vietnam and the Vietnam - India Friendship Association, which truthfully and vividly reflect the increasingly strong solidarity, friendship, and cooperation between the peoples of Vietnam and India.

The black-and-white photos of the VNA introduce to the public touching moments, from President Ho Chi Minh’s warm reception for Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru during the latter’s visit to Vietnam (on October 17, 1954) to the presence of both President Prasad and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru at the New Delhi airport to welcome President Ho Chi Minh, and the warm welcome by people in New Delhi for the Vietnamese leader during his India visit in February 1958, along with an image of Hanoians lining the street to welcome Indian President Prasad to Vietnam on March 22, 1959.

The color photos depict outstanding diplomatic activities, including mutual visits by high-ranking leaders of the two countries during the time Vietnam and India were carrying out comprehensive reforms; important milestones in bilateral relations such as the signing ceremony of the Joint Declaration on the Framework of Comprehensive Cooperation between Vietnam and India as they enter the 21st Century, and the elevation of bilateral relations to a Strategic Partnership and then to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership; Indian President Ram Nath Kovind’s attendance in the sixth session of the 14th National Assembly of Vietnam; as well as activities in economic and defense cooperation, people-to-people diplomacy, and mutual support and assistance in the combat against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Amid the process of dynamic integration and with the huge potential of both countries, the mutual understanding and trust continue to serve as the firm foundation for promoting the strong, profound, comprehensive, and solid development of the Vietnam - India and India - Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in the future, in the interests of the two peoples, thereby contributing to peace, stability, and prosperous development in Asia and the world at large./.
President Ho Chi Minh on October 17, 1954 cordially receives Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru during the latter’s friendship visit to Vietnam. Photo: VNA
President Ho Chi Minh receives Indian Deputy Prime Minister Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan in Hanoi on September 12, 1957. Photo: VNA
People of New Delhi welcomes President Ho Chi Minh upon his arrival in New Delhi for friendship visit to India from February 5-14, 1958. Photo: VNA
President Ho Chi Minh meets with Indian President Rajendra Prasad on February 5, 1958 during the Vietnamese leader’s friendship visit to India. Photo: VNA
President Ho Chi Minh visits Qutb Minar in New Dehli and Taj Mahal in the city of Agra during the Vietnamese leader’s friendship visit to India in February 1958. Photo: VNA
Indian President Rajendra Prasad and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru welcome President Ho Chi Minh at New Delhi Airport during the latter’s friendship visit to India from February 5-14, 1958. Photo: VNA Archive
President Ho Chi Minh and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru sign the Vietnam-India Joint Statement in New Delhi on February 7, 1958. Photo: VNA Archive
Hanoians warmly welcome Indian President Rajendra Prasad who pays a friendship visit to Vietnam on March 22, 1959. Photo: VNA
President Ho Chi Minh and Indian President Rajendra Prasad visit the Hanoi Tool Manufacturing Factory No.1 on March 24, 1959. Photo: VNA
Prime Minister Pham Van Dong and his Indian counterpart Morarji Desai hold talks in New Delhi on February 24, 1978 during the Vietnamese PM’s friendship official visit to India. Photo: The Trung/VNA
Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on September 21, 1984 hosts State banquet in honour of Party General Secretary Le Duan on the occasion of the latter’s official visit to India. Photo: Minh Dao/VNA
Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi welcomes Party General Secretary Nguyen Van Linh, who paid an official friendship visit to India and attend the 39th anniversary of Republic Day of India from January 23-28, 1989. Photo: Xuan Lam/VNA
President Le Duc Anh receives Indian Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao, who was on an official friendship visit to Vietnam, in Hanoi on September 6, 1994. Photo: Minh Dao/VNA
Indian Prime Minister H. D. Deve Gowda holds talks with Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet, who was on an official friendship visit to India from March 7-9, 1997. Photo: Minh Dao/VNA
President Tran Duc Luong meets with Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in New Delhi on December 1, 1999. Photo: Trong Nghiep/VNA
Prime Minister Phan Van Khai holds talks in Hanoi on January 8, 2001 with Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who was on an official friendship visit to Vietnam. Photo: The Thuan/VNA
Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh and Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee witness the singing of the "Joint Declaration between Vietnam and India on Comprehensive Cooperation Framework for the Twenty-first Century” in New Delhi on May 1, 2003. Photo: Xuan Tuan/VNA
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh welcomes and holds talks with Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung in New Delhi on July 6, 2007. The Vietnamese government leader was on an official visit to India. Photo: Duc Tam/VNA
President Nguyen Minh Triet welcomes and holds talks with Indian President Pratibha Devisingh Patil in Hanoi on November 27, 2008. The Indian leader was on an official visit to Vietnam. Photo: Nhan Sang/VNA
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh welcomes and holds talks with President Truong Tan Sang in New Delhi on October 12, 2011. The Vietnamese leader was on a State-level visit to India. Photo: Nguyen Khang/VNA
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh welcomes Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, who was on an official visit to India, in New Delhi on November 20, 2013. Photo: Tri Dung/VNA
Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong pays visit to the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial (Raj Ghat) in New Delhi on November 20, 2013. Photo: Tri Dung/VNA
President Truong Tan Sang welcomes his Indian counterpart Pranab Mukherjee in Hanoi on September 15, 2014 during the latter’s State-level visit to Vietnam. Photo: Nguyen Khang/VNA
Indian President Pranab Mukherjee visits the Cu Chi tunnel relic site in Ho Chi Minh City on September 17, 2014. Photo: Thanh Vu/VNA
Indian President Pranab Mukherjee (C), his entourage and Vietnamese Buddhist monks under a Bodhi tree at Tran Quoc Pagoda in Hanoi on September 16, 2014 during his State-level visit to Vietnam. The Bodhi tree (Sacred Fig tree) was a gift from then Indian President Rajendra Prasad to President Ho Chi Minh during his visit to Vietnam on March 31, 1959. Photo: Duong Giang/VNA
Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomes and holds talks in New Delhi on October 28, 2014 with Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung during the latter’s official visit to India. Photo: Duc Tam/VNA
National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung receives in Hanoi on March 28, 2015 Speaker of the Lower House of India's Parliament Sumitra Mahajan, who was in Vietnam to attend the 132nd Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly (IPU-132). Photo: Nhan Sang/VNA
Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong receives in Hanoi on September 3, 2016 Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was on an official visit to Vietnam. Photo: Tri Dung/VNA
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Indian counterpart Narendra Modi hold talks on September 3, 2016 during the latter’s official visit to Vietnam. The two sides agreed to lift bilateral ties from “strategic partnership” to “comprehensive strategic partnership”. Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi fed fish in Uncle Ho’s pond in the Ho Chi Minh Presidential Palace Compound in Hanoi on September 3, 2016. Photo: Doan Tan/VNA
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha at Quan Su Pagoda in Hanoi on September 3, 2016. Photo: Doan Tan/VNA
National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan and Speaker of the Lower House of India's Parliament Sumitra Mahajan hold talks in New Delhi on December 9, 2016. Photo: Trong Duc/VNA
Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong hosts a welcome ceremony in Hanoi on November 20, 2018 for Indian President Ram Nath Kovind upon the Indian leader’s arrival in Vietnam for State visit. Photo: Tri Dung/VNA
Indian President Ram Nath Kovind addresses the 6th session of the 14th National Assembly of Vietnam in Hanoi on November 20, 2018 as part of his State-level visit to Vietnam. Photo: Trong Duc/VNA
Indian Vice President Venkaiah Naidu on May 11, 2019 attends an inaugural ceremony in Hanoi for new India-funded Jaipur Foot Artificial Limb Fitment Camps in Vietnam. Photo: Lam Khanh/VNA
National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue holds talks with Speaker of the Lok Sabha (House of Representatives) of India Om Birla in New Delhi on December 16, 2021 during the former’s official visit to India. Photo: Doan Tan/ VNA
National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue receives a token of 200,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine from India’s Bharat Biotech in New Delhi on December 16, 2021 as gifts to the Vietnamese people. Photo: Doan Tan/VNA
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh meets with Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland (the UK) on November 2, 2021. Photo: Duong Giang/VNA
Artists from the Sangeet Natak Academy of India perform a classical dance in the central city of Da Nang, Vietnam on March 11, 2014. Photo: Tran Le Lam/VNA
Performance of Indian folk dance during “Indian Festive Days” in Ho Chi Minh City on March 13, 2014. Photo: Thanh Vu/VNA
Vietnam Maritime Police and the Indian Coast Guard conduct their joint exercise in Bengal Bay, India on October 4, 2018. Photo: VNA
Destroyer INS Rana of the Indian navy anchors at Sai Gon Port in Ho Chi Minh City on September 27, 2018, beginning a four-day friendship visit to Vietnam. Photo: Thanh Vu/VNA
Vietnamese and Indian experts share experiences in dealing with situations which may arise during peacekeeping operations at United Nations missions within a joint exercise in Hanoi, on July 8, 2019. Photo: Duong Giang/VNA
Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh takes part in a ceremony in New Delhi on February 12, 2020 to launch Vietjet’s direct routes connecting major cities of Vietnam and India. Photo: Huy Le/VNA
Vietnamese monks and Buddhist followers in Ho Chi Minh City organizes candle lighting and special prayers for Indian peers, who have been experiencing huge losses caused by COVID-19 pandemic. Photo: Xuan Khu/VNA
Vietnamese and Indian delegates at the opening ceremony of the Vietnam-India People’s Friendship Festival in Hanoi on September 19, 2011. Photo: The Vietnam-India Friendship Association
Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh receives the Indian delegation to the 10th Vietnam-India People’s Friendship Festival in Hanoi on August 12, 2019. Photo: The Vietnam-India Friendship Association
The Vietnam-India Friendship Association presents 100,000 medical masks to the Indian people so as to offer a helping hand to them in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Photo: Danh Lam/VNA
Collective Yoga performance in the central coastal city of Da Nang on June 30, 2019 in celebration of the International Yoga Day. Photo: Tran Le Lam/VNA
Embassy of India organizes the 6th International Day of Yoga at Ha Long City on 21 June 2020
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