Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on Tuesday received Vietnam President To Lam upon his arrival in Gayaji for a three-day official visit to India. The visit is being viewed as an important diplomatic engagement aimed at further strengthening India-Vietnam relations. The Chief Minister extended a formal welcome on behalf of the state government, highlighting Bihar’s cultural and spiritual significance. The arrival of the Vietnamese President drew attention to Gayaji as a key stop in his India tour.
Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary expressed optimism that the visit would deepen bilateral cooperation between India and Vietnam across multiple sectors. In a post on social media platform X, he described Gayaji as a city rich in spirituality, heritage, and historical importance. He said such high-level visits help reinforce people-to-people ties and strengthen long-standing diplomatic relations. He also emphasized that Bihar was honoured to host a global leader of President To Lam’s stature.
President To Lam, who serves as both the President of Vietnam and General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, will remain in India until May 7. This is his first official visit to India since assuming the presidency earlier this month, making the trip diplomatically significant. His visit comes at a time when both countries are marking the 10th anniversary of their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The visit is expected to add renewed momentum to ongoing cooperation between the two nations.
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During his India tour, President To Lam is scheduled to receive a ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhawan on May 6, underscoring the importance of the diplomatic engagement. He will hold detailed bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, covering areas such as trade, defence cooperation, technology, and regional security. President Droupadi Murmu is also expected to meet him during his stay, along with other senior Indian leaders. These high-level interactions are aimed at expanding the strategic partnership between the two countries.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the Vietnamese President will also visit Bodh Gaya and Mumbai as part of his itinerary. The visit to Bodh Gaya is particularly significant due to its religious and cultural importance in Buddhist heritage shared by both nations. Officials said the engagements will help open new avenues of cooperation in tourism, culture, and economic collaboration. The MEA added that the visit reflects India’s continued commitment to strengthening ties with Southeast Asia.
India and Vietnam share historically deep civilisational and diplomatic relations that have steadily expanded over the years. The partnership was elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2016 during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Vietnam. Officials noted that President To Lam’s visit comes at a symbolic time, marking a decade of this upgraded relationship framework. Both sides are expected to explore new opportunities to enhance cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.
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