Vietnam delegation to visit India

Kolkata, Apr 29(UNI) In order to boost trade relations between the two countries, Vitenam Prime Minister, along with his delegation would soon visit India.

Speaking at an interactive session organised by Prabha Khaitan Foundation here today, Kolkata Mayor Bikash Ranjan Bhattachrya said, ''We will take the opportunity and urge the Centre to begin direct flights between the two countries, especially originating from Kolkata. If communication between the two countries increase, tourism and trade will follow.'' ''We have proposed to the Vietnam government to start direct flights between the two countries. I have drawn Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee's attention on this issue as well,'' he said.

Exide Industries Managing Director Satyabarata Ganguly, who was also a member of the Bengal Initiative team which visited Vietnam in the first week of March, said Indian companies should exploit the opportunities in Vietnam and invest in that country.

''Vietnam has more Foreign Direct Investments than China though it is a small country with a population of about 60 lakh. The country has its own growth model and has drawn huge investments from Japan, America and other countries,'' Mr Ganguly said.

The country has focussed on the infrastructure building and built a number of free tarde zones like SEZs,'' he said.

The small country, with its memories of the war with America in the backdrop, has progressed far ahead with the model of ''globalised socialist market economy'', Mr Bhattacharjee said.

UNI