Indian PM woos Vietnam with nuclear, IT cooperation
HANOI - Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee promised Vietnam increased assistance with nuclear research and information
technology Monday as he moved to enlist the support of New Delhi's closest southeast Asian ally to boost its ties with the
region.
Promising to further extend India's technological cooperation programme in Vietnam in the years to come, Vajpayee pledged
an additional two million dollars in Indian aid for IT training as well as equipment to build a new nuclear science laboratory.
"India stands ready to share its expertise in information technology in which it has come to be regarded as a world leader," he
said as he announced the new aid package.
India wanted to modernize the close relations forged by independence leaders Ho Chi Minh and Jawaharlal Nehru so that they
would "retain their relevance in a globalising world and a technological age," Vajpayee said.
"A new dimension has been added to these relations and they have been given a new relevance by our cooperation in fields of
atomic energy, oil and technology."
Earlier Vajpayee joined Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai in witnessing the signing of an agreement renewing New
Delhi's nuclear cooperation with Hanoi for a third year.
Vietnam maintains an aging US-built research reactor in the central highland town of Dalat but wants to develop a nuclear
energy programme by 2015.
Around 25 Vietnamese scientists have already received training at Indian nuclear plants under the cooperation programme, the
director for international relations of the Indian atomic energy commission, A.K. Anand, said.
Vajpayee also held out the prospect of increased economic cooperation saying that he was looking forward to witnessing a
string of important deals at an Indo-Vietnamese business forum Tuesday.
"Vietnam is moving fast in its economic reforms and presents many attractive opportunities for Indian investors," he said.
The Indian prime minister berated the current level of bilateral trade, which stood at just 200 million dollars last year, saying it
was "totally incommensurate with the potential."
"It is not difficult to reach a figure of 500 million or more," he said, adding that India was considering bulk imports of crude oil,
phosphates and forestry products from Vietnam.
Vajpayee thanked Vietnamese leaders for their strong support for Indian foreign policy objectives, particularly a permanent
seat on the United Nations Security Council.
He said he hoped Vietnam would also use its influence in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, in which it currently holds
the rotating presidency.
ASEAN launched a new joint forum with China, Japan and South Korea last year. India remains however a "full dialogue
partner," a situation New Delhi is keen to change.
Vajpayee said New Delhi was already working to boost its relations with ASEAN through the ASEAN Regional Forum as
well as the Ganges-Mekong Linkage Group, a six member grouping it launched with ASEAN members, Cambodia, Laos,
Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, in November.
"We would like to see these linkages flourish in the future in the interests of our collective security and prosperity," he said.
Vajpayee's visit here caps a flurry of visits between the two countries over the past year -- President Tran Duc Luong visited
New Delhi last month after visits here by Indian Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh in November and Defence Minister George
Fernandes in March.
Vajpayee confirmed reports that New Delhi and Hanoi were holding joint training in jungle warfare to improve the effectiveness
of the Indian army in combatting secessionist groups in the northeast but insisted that it was their only area of military
cooperation.
"This is an ongoing programme, part of miltary training that has been going on since very long, and there is no other cooperation
in the military field," he said.
Vajpayee was due to hold talks with Defence Minister Pham Van Tra Tuesday as well as Vietnam's top leader Le Kha Phieu.
He is due to travel on to another ASEAN country, Indonesia, Wednesday for the first visit there by an Indian leader in 14
years.
Agence France Presse - January 8, 2001.
|