New Delhi, August 1: Lauding the ties shared between the two countries, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Thursday that Buddhism is a common heritage that has connected the people of India and Vietnam on a spiritual level.

Delivering a press statement during the visit of Prime Minister of Vietnam, Pham Minh Chinh to India, PM Modi also appreciated the shared cultural heritage between the two nations.

"To conserve our shared cultural heritage, India will cooperate in the conservation of the temples of "Block F" of the World Heritage Site 'Mi Son'. As we all know, Buddhism is our common heritage, which has connected the people of both the countries on a spiritual level," Prime Minister Modi said in his press statement.

He also extended an invitation to people from Vietnam to come to India and explore the Buddhist Circuit here.

"We invite people from Vietnam to the Buddhist circuit in India. And want that the youth of Vietnam should also take advantage of Nalanda University."

The ancient Nalanda University, established around 1600 years ago, is considered to be among the first residential universities in the world.

The new university campus is created to be a replica of the historic Nalanda University. The university is conceived as a collaboration between India and East Asia Summit (EAS) countries.

Meanwhile, in his press statement, PM Modi also spoke on the economic aspect of the bilateral relationship between India and Vietnam.

"Agriculture and fisheries are important parts of the economy of both countries. These sectors are related to people's livelihood and food security. We have decided that germplasm exchange and joint research will be promoted in these areas," PM Modi said.

He also highlighted the importance of Vietnam in India's Act East Policy. The Prime Minister said, "In our Act East policy and our Indo-Pacific vision, Vietnam is our important partner. There is good coordination between our views regarding the Indo-Pacific. We support evolution, not expansionism. We will continue our cooperation for a free, open, rules-based and prosperous Indo-Pacific. We welcome Vietnam's decision to join CDRI."

Notably, CDRI (The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure), formed by India in 2019, is a unique global climate initiative that brings together governments, multilateral agencies, the private sector, and academic institutions to strengthen the climate resilience of key infrastructure, including roads, airports, and power grids.

"Once again, I welcome Prime Minister Pham Min Ching. Your visit is adding a new and golden chapter to our relations," PM Modi said, concluding his statement.

Earlier Thursday, PM Modi and his Vietnam counterpart, Pham Minh Chinh at Hyderabad House here in the national capital, jointly inaugurated the Army Software Park at the Tele-Communications University in Nha Trang, Vietnam.

Various delegates from both sides signed several Memorandums of Understanding, aimed at strengthening the bilateral ties between both countries.

Pham Minh Chinh, who is on a three-day State visit to India, was accorded a ceremonial reception at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan.

PM Modi received his Vietnam counterpart at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. The two leaders shared a warm hug as they greeted each other. He then inspected a Guard of Honour by the combined defence services.

(ANI)

Read More: National News

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