Indian Ambassador to Vietnam Tshering W. Sherpa has described India and Vietnam as 'progressive and forward-looking partners' whose relationship is anchored in trust, mutual respect, and goodwill — a bond he says will only deepen as both nations pursue ambitious national development goals. The remarks came as New Delhi prepares to mark its 80th Independence Day on 15 August.

What the Ambassador Said

Writing in Vietnamese English daily Vietnam News, Sherpa outlined the philosophical and historical foundations of the bilateral relationship. 'India and Vietnam, two progressive forward-looking partners, have transformed challenges into opportunities, learnt from each other and nurtured complementarities. The enormous goodwill, mutual respect and trust, with people at the core, is the strength of our traditional partnership which will only get stronger,' he wrote.

Sherpa also quoted Prime Minister Narendra Modi to underscore the shared vision: 'We will walk together, grow together, and win together.'

Vietnam as a Pillar of India's Act East Policy

The Ambassador positioned Vietnam as a key pillar of India's 'Act East' policy and the Vision MAHASAGAR framework — Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions. He reaffirmed India's commitment to ASEAN centrality and highlighted Vietnam's participation in the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative as a signal of shared commitment to the rule of law, regional peace, and stability.

'India is committed to ASEAN centrality. Our partnership flows into the multilateral arena. Việt Nam joining the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative strengthens our mutual commitment to the rule of law, peace, stability, and prosperity of the region,' Sherpa wrote.

Shared Civilisational Roots and Parallel Journeys

Sherpa traced the depth of the relationship to shared civilisational ties rooted in Buddhism, history, and culture. He noted that both countries emerged from colonialism in the same era — Vietnam in September 1945 and India in August 1947 — and drew inspiration from each other's national independence movements.

He drew a direct parallel between their development visions: 'The respective national goals of Viksit Bharat @ 2047 and Vietnam 2045 are not coincidental,' he said, framing the two nations as natural partners in long-term growth.

India's Global Role and Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam

Sherpa underlined India's people-centric approach to development and its self-identified role as a voice for the Global South, guided by the principle of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam — the world is one family — while maintaining a path of strategic autonomy. 'Every step that India took was to better the lives of its people and bring prosperity to herself and the world,' he said.

Goodwill Across Both Nations

Concluding his message, Sherpa extended warm wishes to Indian nationals and friends of India marking Independence Day on 15 August, and congratulated Vietnamese friends ahead of Vietnam's 81st Independence Day on 2 September. The message reflects a broader diplomatic effort to reinforce people-to-people ties as the cornerstone of a relationship that spans decades of shared history and strategic alignment.