India, Vietnam to start direct flights
NEW DELHI - In a bid to boost bilateral relations with Vietnam, India on Sunday decided to start 20 direct air flights a month to the South-East Asian country.
The Government has officially conveyed its decision to the Vietnamese authorities, which have also reciprocated the gesture.
Addressing a press conference organised by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Assocham) and the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, the Ambassador of Vietnam in India, Mr Tran Trong Khanh, said that Vietnam has identified India as one of the major countries to promote its tourism.
The Tourism Minister, Ms Renuka Choudhury, and visiting Vietnam the Tourism Minister, Ms Vo Thi Thang, are likely to discuss the details and the dates for establishing the air linkages between the two countries when they meet for official discussions on Monday.
Mr Khanh said that India has given its official commitment to Vietnam that formalities may be done away with while establishing the air linkages between the two countries in view of the growing bilateral relations. Mr Khanh said Vietnam has identified India as one of the major countries to promote its tourism.
The flow of Indian tourists to Vietnam will grow to 10,000 by the end of this calendar year compared to its earlier tourist flow of 6,500 by April 2003.
The Deputy Director General of Vietnam National Administration for Tourism Mr Nguyen Quy Phuong, said the President, Mr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, has agreed to visit Vietnam during the Indo-Asean Summit in December 2004.
Easier visas : Mr Phuong said Vietnam has crossed the foreign tourist arrival of five million by the end of September 2004, while India's foreign tourist arrivals as on date is less than 2.5 million.
In order to attract larger Indian tourist flow to Vietnam, its government will soon relax its visa restrictions and ensure that visas are granted to Indian tourists on arrival at Vietnam airports, Mr Phuong said.
The Hindu Business Line - October 17, 2004.
India-Vietnam to start 20 direct flights monthly
NEW DELHI - India and Vietnam will establish direct air linkages starting with 20 flights in a month from each country very shortly, a senior official said. The Indian government has officially conveyed its decision about the subject to the Vietnamese authorities, which have also reciprocated the gesture, Ambassador of Vietnam in India Tran Trong Khanh told reporters at a joint press conference, organised by the ASSOCHAM and the Vietnam Tourism Board.
Tourism Minister Renuka Choudhury and visiting Vietnam Tourism Minister Ms Vo Thi Thang are likely to discuss the details and the dates for establishing the air linkages between the two countries when they meet for official discussions tomorrow, Mr Khanh indicated.He categorically said India has given its official commitment to Vietnam that not many formalities were needed for establishing the air linkages between India and Vietnam, keeping in view the fact that the bilateral relations between the two countries are growing.Mr Khanh said Vietnam has identified India as one of the major countries to promote its tourism.
The flow of Indian tourists to Vietnam will grow to 10,000 by the end of this calendar year compared to its earlier tourist flow of 6,500 by April 2003.Deputy Director General of Vietnam National Administration for Tourism Nguyen Quy Phuong said President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam has agreed to visit their country during the Indo-ASEAN Summit in December 2004. Similarly, the Head of States of Vietnam will also visit India in mid of 2005, indicating growing bilateral ties between the two nations.
He said Vietnam has crossed the foreign tourist arrival of 5 million by the end of September, 2004, while India's foreign tourist arrivals as on date is less than 2.5 million. Vietnam will offer its tourist promotional skills to India to enable it attract larger number of tourist inflow. In order to attract larger Indian tourist flow to Vietnam, its government will soon relax its visa restrictions and ensure that Visas are granted to Indian tourists at their arrivals in Vietnamees airports, he added.
UNI - October 17, 2004
Vietnam renews Kolkata ties
KOLKATA - It's the 50th anniversary of the historic meeting between Jawaharlal Nehru and Ho Chi Minh in Hanoi, and Kolkata has a special reason to celebrate. The city will soon get a direct flight between Kolkata and Hanoi and a Vietnamese consulate. Ambassador of Vietnam to India Tran Trong Khanh announced this on Friday after a programme to mark the Nehru-Ho Chi Minh meeting.
Feasibility studies were on for the introduction of the flight and setting up of the consulate, Khanh told reporters. Vietnam Airlines wants to introduce direct flights to four major cities in India -Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai. The proposal had been accepted by the previous NDA government under the open sky policy, he said. Besides, efforts would also be made to increase economic ties between Vietnam and West Bengal, Khanh said.
Responding to a proposal from businessman H.P. Budhia that Vietnam should invest in Bengal, Khanh said a highlevel Vietnamese business delegation would be sent to Kolkata. He also invited Bengal businessmen to Vietnam. Speaking at the meeting, chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee turned nostalgic as he recollected his association with Vietnam.
Khanh, too, recalled how Bhattacharjee had been lodged in a Kolkata jail while agitating in support of Vietnam people's fight for freedom. The chief minister promised to extend all help if a Vietnamese consulate was started in Kolkata and a direct flight were introduced. Bhattacharjee recalled his visits to Vietnam in 1990 and 1997 and his meeting with General Gyap, who had led the battle against the French army at Dien Bien Phu.
"In a recent meeting, the US ambassador told me that the communists had committed many crimes and mistakes. I told him that the crimes committed by US in Vietnam exceeded all crimes committed by communists put together," the chief minister said. Speakers also recalled how Vietnam had always touched an emotional chord among the people of Kolkata, how two youths of the city had been shot dead in an agitation in support of anti-imperialist struggle in Vietnam.
The Times Of India - October 16, 2004
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