PM arrives in India, beginning state visit

10:07' 05/07/2007 (GMT+7)

VietNamNet Bridge – Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung arrived at Kolkata airport in India's West Bengal on July 4, beginning his landmark to visit to the country. Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung. After his arrival in the world's second most populated country, PM Dung, his wife and the high-level delegation accompanying them symbolically paid a floral tribute to a monument dedicated to Vietnam's President Ho Chi Minh that is located in the city. Later that day, the Vietnamese Government leader met with West Bengal Governor Budhatdev Bhattcharya and a delegation of the India-Viet Nam Friendship Association. Bhattcharya said as a state rife with massive agriculture potential, West Bengal is eager to invest in aquaculture and milk processing projects in Vietnam. He then invited Vietnamese business executives who accompanied PM Dung to link up with the West Bengal Chamber of Commerce in sponsoring an annual trade fair in his state. The Vietnamese leader went on to reiterate Vietnam’s policy to open its market for Indian businesses interested in investing in information technology and steel production. During his meeting with a delegation of the India-Viet Nam Friendship Association led by its chairman Geetesh Sharma, the Prime Minister expressed “A sense of deep gratitude from the Vietnamese Government and people for India’s valuable support during their struggle for national independence.” “Vietnam will do its utmost to bring traditional relations between the two countries to new heights for the vested interest of the two nations as well as for peace and prosperity in the region,” said the PM. Following the meeting, the PM attended a joint business forum that drew the participation of close to 300 Indian businesses in addition to the travelling 100 Vietnamese partners from his accompanying delegation. At the discussion, he extended an invitation to India’s industrial giants to invest in areas that directly relate to their strengths and experiences such as information technology, electricity, petroleum, metallurgy, coal mining, transport, agriculture, fisheries, food processing and medicine. PM Dung later witnessed a signing ceremony for a cooperation agreement between the Viet nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). Capping off a busy day, PM Dung then visited the Headquarters of the Tata Steel Group. He told the company's executive board that he was eager to see a home grown entity such as Tata operating in Vietnam after the giant rolls out a steel complex in the central province of Ha Tinh. (Source: Viet Nam Net)