Businessmen appeal for direct flight between India, Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh City, South Vietnam, Nov 25 (UNI) The Indian and Vietnamese businessmen today made a fervent appeal to the Indian Government to link both the countries through a direct flight.

The demand was made in the interactive session held by the Indian Chambers of Commerce, the Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce and Industries and a delegation of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FICCI) at the Business Forum meeting, which was earlier addressed by visting Indian President Pratibha Devisingh Patil.

Ms Patil had called for an enhanced cooperation in trade and commerce between the two countries, saying there were several areas, in which both India and Vietnam could work for mutual benefit. ''If India has done good in the field of infrastructure development, Vietnam has excelled in food processing industries and marine products, among others.'' Taking cue from the speech, the delegates, while discussing the investment avenues, felt that there were no direct links between the two countries, till date. They had to come here through a longer route either via Singapore or Malaysia.

Secretary (East) in the External Affairs Ministry, N Ravi, told newspersons that such a proposal had also been made a few years ago but could not be materialised for some reasons. ''But now, when the economy is looking up and investors are making such a demand, it would be re-proposed to the national airlines,'' he said.

UNI KAS SBC RN2008