Science and Technology
A bilateral Agreement on cooperation in Science & Technology between India and Vietnam which was first concluded in 1976, was renewed in February 1996.
Under the Agreement, a Joint Committee on Science & Technology was constituted in 1997 to oversee implementation and report progress to the Indo-Vietnam Joint Commission. The Joint Committee so far has met four times, the fourth being in New Delhi on 21st August, 2001.
A fresh Programme of Cooperation (POC) for the period 2000-2001 was also concluded. 30 Slots under ITEC programme are separately reserved for training of Vietnamese scientists in India and cooperation in this field is covered under the auspices of the Joint Commission and the JWG. Several exchanges have taken place, e.g., in October 1998 Asia Tech, in November 1998 on Biotechnology.
In August 1999, the First India-Vietnam Protocol on Information Technology was signed, which details types of possible cooperation in the field of information technology. The Government of Vietnam has identified India as a strategic partner in this field.
During the visit of the Vietnamese President to India in December, 1999, an MOU was signed between the Indian Ministry of Information Technology and the Vietnamese Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment for setting up of two Centres for Software HRD in Vietnam, with funds (US$ 5 million) for their implementation from Govt. of India line of credit of Rs. 470 million granted to Vietnam in 1997. The project has not been started by Vietnam as it seems they have some problem in utilising GOI credits for this purpose.
A contract between Da Nang Software Technology Centre in Danang, Vietnam and APTECH of India has been signed on December 6, 2000 for setting up a human resource development centre for Information Technology without any international funding. According to the agreement, APTECH would supply teaching materials and methodologies, ways of management of the centre, course, curriculum, certificate issuance, etc. and Da Nang Software Technology Centre would be responsible for conducting training courses based on the curriculum designed by APTECH. Two other centres for software human resources are expected tobe established in Vietnam using the grants of the Indian Government.
Culture
A Cultural Agreement between India and Vietnam was signed in 1976. The specific activities and exchanges are mutually agreed in the form of a cultural exchange programme. The validity of the existing CEP, i.e., upto the end-2000, has been extended by three years, i.e., for 2001, 2002 and 2003 by signing an Extension Protocol during PMs visit to Vietnam in January, 2001.
ITEC Cooperation
Considerable economic assistance has been extended to Vietnam under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme (ITEC), in fact, Indias training programme with Vietnam is the largest, with 110 slots annually. Fully-paid scholarship's are being offered annually for training in diverse fields including agriculture, fisheries, animal husbandry, management, foreign trade, small industry extension, science & technology, computer software/hardware, computer applications, audit & accounts, pharmaceuticals, remote sensing, mass communication, English language, water resources, etc. Two major institutes in the field of agriculture and animal husbandry have been set up with Indian assistance under the ITEC Programme. These are the Rice Research Institute in O'Mon, Cuu Long Rice Research Institute, the Buffalo Forage Research Centre at Songbe. A Multipurpose Small Industries Training Centre has been successfully commissioned in Hanoi in August, 1995. A new set of machinery worth US$ 500,000 was gifted to the Government of Vietnam and installed at the Textile Research Institute in Hanoi. An English language teacher from India has been deputed (Sep. 1999-June, 2002) at the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to teach English to young Vietnamese diplomats at several other universities and research institutions.
Credits
At present, two lines of credit are operational: (1) Rs. 470 million (equivalent to US $ 12 million rapaid by them in 1997) for which an agreement was signed during the 9th Joint Commission Meeting in February 1999 (The financing cost of US$ 5 million for setting up of HRD Centres in the IT Sector, would be released from out of this credit.) and (2) Rs. 600 million extended by an agreement during the visit of the Vietnamese President (December 1999). Of this, the first credit line for Rs. 470 million remains unutilized. The second credit line of Rs. 600 million has been partially utilised. Two contracts under the credit one pertaining to PEC for Rs. 198 million and another pertaining to RITES for Rs. 229 have been approved. A new credit line of US $ 27 million has been offered by the Government of India to Vietnam. An Agreement on this credit is expected tobe signed in the near future.
Indian Investment in Vietnam
Vietnam's economic policies have opened up tremendous opportunities for Indian investment, both for tapping the growing domestic market and for exports. Its impending entry into the ASEAN preferential tariff regime makes it an ideal springboard for export marketing to the entire region. At present, Indian investment in Vietnam is to the tune of $ 125 million, mainly in sugar production, electric power generation plant, edible oil and plastic sectors.
Besides the above, ONGC is involved in a major joint-venture offshore oil and natural gas exploration in the southern part of Vietnam. In the coming years, this ONGC-VL investment in the production sharing contract (PSC) between itself, Petro Vietnam, BP and the Norwegian company, Statoil, will be one of the largest investment (US$228 million) of the Government of India PSU anywhere in the world. ONGC-VLs share of the PSC is 45%. The Government of Vietnam attaches a lot of importance to this project and it has been elevated to the top three projects of national importance by the Vietnamese National Assembly.
Bilateral Trade and Investment
A Bilateral Trade Agreement was signed between the two countries originally in 1978, a revised version of which came into being on 8th March, 1997 in New Delhi during the visit of the Vietnamese Prime Minister to India. Trade related issues are also reviewed by the two countries under the aegis of the Indo-Vietnam Joint Commission, Joint Working Group, Joint Business Council, Trade Fairs and Exhibitions, etc.
A Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (BIPPA) has been signed between the two countries on 8th March, 1997 in New Delhi and ratified during the visit of the Vietnamese President to India in December, 1999.
During 2000-2001 major commodities exported to Vietnam (with their percentage share) were drugs, pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals (18.15%), oil meals (18.13%), plastic and linoleum products (13.83%), machinery & instruments (8.88%), rubber manufactured products except footwear (6.98%), inorganic/organic/agro-chemicals (4.91%), marine products (4.54%) cotton yarn, fabrics, made-ups, etc. (3.24%), iron and steel bar / rod etc. (3.12%), and primary and semi-finished iron and steel (2.79%).
So far as major items of import from Vietnam are concerned, the main items with their share in total imports from Vietnam were spices (14.16%), electronic goods (9.72%), tea (7.64%), essential oil and cosmetic preparation (6.04%), natural rubber (5.4%), non-ferrous metals (4%) and chemical materials and products (4%). However, the volume of imports is not much.
With the increasing acceptance of Indian products in the Vietnamese market, the prospects of a further rapid growth in our exports to Vietnam are very bright. Two Pride of India exhibitions, in 1998, had been bold initiatives taken in this regard. The 3rd Pride of India exhibition was held in Ho Chi Minh City in December, 1999. Some Indian companies representing oil and natural gas, project exports, chemicals, watches, etc. participated in the 10th Vietnam International Trade Fair in Hanoi in April 2000. The 4th Pride of India Exhibition in Ho Chi Minh City has been held in Ho Chi Minh City from 27th February to 2nd March, 2001. More than 10 Vietnamese companies participated in the 17th Industrial India Trade Fair from 19 to 31st December, 2003 in Kolkata with Vietnam as Partner Country.
A bilateral Agreement on cooperation in Science & Technology between India and Vietnam which was first concluded in 1976, was renewed in February 1996.
Under the Agreement, a Joint Committee on Science & Technology was constituted in 1997 to oversee implementation and report progress to the Indo-Vietnam Joint Commission. The Joint Committee so far has met four times, the fourth being in New Delhi on 21st August, 2001.
A fresh Programme of Cooperation (POC) for the period 2000-2001 was also concluded. 30 Slots under ITEC programme are separately reserved for training of Vietnamese scientists in India and cooperation in this field is covered under the auspices of the Joint Commission and the JWG. Several exchanges have taken place, e.g., in October 1998 Asia Tech, in November 1998 on Biotechnology.
In August 1999, the First India-Vietnam Protocol on Information Technology was signed, which details types of possible cooperation in the field of information technology. The Government of Vietnam has identified India as a strategic partner in this field.
During the visit of the Vietnamese President to India in December, 1999, an MOU was signed between the Indian Ministry of Information Technology and the Vietnamese Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment for setting up of two Centres for Software HRD in Vietnam, with funds (US$ 5 million) for their implementation from Govt. of India line of credit of Rs. 470 million granted to Vietnam in 1997. The project has not been started by Vietnam as it seems they have some problem in utilising GOI credits for this purpose.
A contract between Da Nang Software Technology Centre in Danang, Vietnam and APTECH of India has been signed on December 6, 2000 for setting up a human resource development centre for Information Technology without any international funding. According to the agreement, APTECH would supply teaching materials and methodologies, ways of management of the centre, course, curriculum, certificate issuance, etc. and Da Nang Software Technology Centre would be responsible for conducting training courses based on the curriculum designed by APTECH. Two other centres for software human resources are expected tobe established in Vietnam using the grants of the Indian Government.
Culture
A Cultural Agreement between India and Vietnam was signed in 1976. The specific activities and exchanges are mutually agreed in the form of a cultural exchange programme. The validity of the existing CEP, i.e., upto the end-2000, has been extended by three years, i.e., for 2001, 2002 and 2003 by signing an Extension Protocol during PMs visit to Vietnam in January, 2001.
ITEC Cooperation
Considerable economic assistance has been extended to Vietnam under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme (ITEC), in fact, Indias training programme with Vietnam is the largest, with 110 slots annually. Fully-paid scholarship's are being offered annually for training in diverse fields including agriculture, fisheries, animal husbandry, management, foreign trade, small industry extension, science & technology, computer software/hardware, computer applications, audit & accounts, pharmaceuticals, remote sensing, mass communication, English language, water resources, etc. Two major institutes in the field of agriculture and animal husbandry have been set up with Indian assistance under the ITEC Programme. These are the Rice Research Institute in O'Mon, Cuu Long Rice Research Institute, the Buffalo Forage Research Centre at Songbe. A Multipurpose Small Industries Training Centre has been successfully commissioned in Hanoi in August, 1995. A new set of machinery worth US$ 500,000 was gifted to the Government of Vietnam and installed at the Textile Research Institute in Hanoi. An English language teacher from India has been deputed (Sep. 1999-June, 2002) at the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to teach English to young Vietnamese diplomats at several other universities and research institutions.
Credits
At present, two lines of credit are operational: (1) Rs. 470 million (equivalent to US $ 12 million rapaid by them in 1997) for which an agreement was signed during the 9th Joint Commission Meeting in February 1999 (The financing cost of US$ 5 million for setting up of HRD Centres in the IT Sector, would be released from out of this credit.) and (2) Rs. 600 million extended by an agreement during the visit of the Vietnamese President (December 1999). Of this, the first credit line for Rs. 470 million remains unutilized. The second credit line of Rs. 600 million has been partially utilised. Two contracts under the credit one pertaining to PEC for Rs. 198 million and another pertaining to RITES for Rs. 229 have been approved. A new credit line of US $ 27 million has been offered by the Government of India to Vietnam. An Agreement on this credit is expected tobe signed in the near future.
Indian Investment in Vietnam
Vietnam's economic policies have opened up tremendous opportunities for Indian investment, both for tapping the growing domestic market and for exports. Its impending entry into the ASEAN preferential tariff regime makes it an ideal springboard for export marketing to the entire region. At present, Indian investment in Vietnam is to the tune of $ 125 million, mainly in sugar production, electric power generation plant, edible oil and plastic sectors.
Besides the above, ONGC is involved in a major joint-venture offshore oil and natural gas exploration in the southern part of Vietnam. In the coming years, this ONGC-VL investment in the production sharing contract (PSC) between itself, Petro Vietnam, BP and the Norwegian company, Statoil, will be one of the largest investment (US$228 million) of the Government of India PSU anywhere in the world. ONGC-VLs share of the PSC is 45%. The Government of Vietnam attaches a lot of importance to this project and it has been elevated to the top three projects of national importance by the Vietnamese National Assembly.
Bilateral Trade and Investment
A Bilateral Trade Agreement was signed between the two countries originally in 1978, a revised version of which came into being on 8th March, 1997 in New Delhi during the visit of the Vietnamese Prime Minister to India. Trade related issues are also reviewed by the two countries under the aegis of the Indo-Vietnam Joint Commission, Joint Working Group, Joint Business Council, Trade Fairs and Exhibitions, etc.
A Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (BIPPA) has been signed between the two countries on 8th March, 1997 in New Delhi and ratified during the visit of the Vietnamese President to India in December, 1999.
During 2000-2001 major commodities exported to Vietnam (with their percentage share) were drugs, pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals (18.15%), oil meals (18.13%), plastic and linoleum products (13.83%), machinery & instruments (8.88%), rubber manufactured products except footwear (6.98%), inorganic/organic/agro-chemicals (4.91%), marine products (4.54%) cotton yarn, fabrics, made-ups, etc. (3.24%), iron and steel bar / rod etc. (3.12%), and primary and semi-finished iron and steel (2.79%).
So far as major items of import from Vietnam are concerned, the main items with their share in total imports from Vietnam were spices (14.16%), electronic goods (9.72%), tea (7.64%), essential oil and cosmetic preparation (6.04%), natural rubber (5.4%), non-ferrous metals (4%) and chemical materials and products (4%). However, the volume of imports is not much.
With the increasing acceptance of Indian products in the Vietnamese market, the prospects of a further rapid growth in our exports to Vietnam are very bright. Two Pride of India exhibitions, in 1998, had been bold initiatives taken in this regard. The 3rd Pride of India exhibition was held in Ho Chi Minh City in December, 1999. Some Indian companies representing oil and natural gas, project exports, chemicals, watches, etc. participated in the 10th Vietnam International Trade Fair in Hanoi in April 2000. The 4th Pride of India Exhibition in Ho Chi Minh City has been held in Ho Chi Minh City from 27th February to 2nd March, 2001. More than 10 Vietnamese companies participated in the 17th Industrial India Trade Fair from 19 to 31st December, 2003 in Kolkata with Vietnam as Partner Country.
