India, Vietnam hold 13th Joint Commission Meeting

New Delhi, Feb 27 (UNI) India and Vietnam today agreed to strengthen cooperation in various sectors including petroleum and power and set a bilateral trade target of two Billion US Dollars by 2010.

At the 13th Meeting of the India-Vietnam Joint Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technological Cooperation held here this evening, the two countries also reviewed bilateral political relations.

They also discussed cooperation in bilateral assistance, credits, banking, science and technology, industry, transportation, agriculture, animal husbandry, fisheries, aquaculture, civil aviation, tourism, education, training, human resource development, culture and other areas.

The Meeting was Co-Chaired by the External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Vietnam, Pham Gia Khiem.

At the end of the discussions, the two Ministers signed the Agreed Minutes of the Joint Commission Meeting (JCM).

''In the Agreed Minutes, the two sides reviewed the bilateral political relations, bilateral assistance, credits, banking, science and technology, industry, transportation, agriculture, animal husbandry, fisheries, aquaculture, civil aviation, tourism, education, training, human resource development, culture and other areas,'' an External Affairs Ministry spkesman said after the JCM.

The Meeting expressed confidence that multi-sectoral bilateral cooperation discussed during the meeting, would contribute to a broad-based development of bilateral ties.

It expressed satisfaction that the value of bilateral trade in 2006 exceeded one billion US Dollars which was the target set by the 12th JCM.

The Meeting was informed that India has emerged as one of the top ten investors in Vietnam after the signing of the joint venture agreement by Essar Steel to set up a 527 million US Dollar Hot Strip Mill plant in Vietnam earlier this month.

Indian companies expressed interest in participating in the petroleum, transportation and power sectors in Vietnam.

India also committed to continue assistance to Vietnam in IT, science and technology and human resource development projects.

The Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister also called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, L K Advani.

He will visit Bodhgaya tomorrow.

He also addressed a business meeting in FICCI earlier during the day.

The year 2007 is the 35th Anniversary of the Establishment of Full Diplomatic Relations between India and Vietnam.

The External Affairs Minister hosted a reception to commemorate the event and in honour of the visiting dignitary.

UNI