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| Ambassador Mai Phan Dung, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the United Nations, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and other international organisations in Geneva, speaks at the eight WTO Trade Policy Review of India. (Photo: VNA) |
Geneva (VNA) – Ambassador Mai Phan Dung, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the United Nations, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and other international organisations in Geneva, has recently attended the eight WTO Trade Policy Review of India.
Speaking at the session, Dung congratulated India on its remarkable economic and development achievements since its previous trade policy review in 2021. He spoke highly of India’s measures to stabilise, revive and strengthen its economy, helping the country to become one of the fastest-growing among major economies, with real GDP growth consistently exceeding 7%.
According to the Indian Government, the country’s exports of goods and services reached a record 825.3 billion USD in 2024-2025, while average annual exports during the current review period rose 57.9% from the previous period.
Dung also congratulated India on officially depositing its instrument of acceptance and becoming the 123rd WTO member to join the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies on July 20, 2026.
Regarding bilateral relations, he noted that economic and trade ties between India and Vietnam are one of the five important pillars of the Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership established by the two countries’ senior leaders in May 2026.
India is one of Vietnam’s leading economic partners in South Asia and its eighth-largest trading partner of the Southeast Asian nation. Bilateral trade accounts for about 80% of Vietnam’s total trade with other South Asian countries. Meanwhile, Vietnam is currently India’s 22nd-largest trading partner globally and the fourth-largest in ASEAN.
While expressing concern about India's recent measures affecting exports, Vietnam hopes that India will remove these trade barriers, with a view to strengthening the robust partnership between the two countries.
Dung said the two sides should also strengthen coordination through joint trade promotion and supply-chain diversification in complementary areas of strength, including textiles and garments, pharmaceuticals, and agriculture, forestry and fisheries.
The ambassador said Vietnam sees significant potential for bilateral trade with India and is committed to working closely with the country to further deepen the economic partnership, contributing to the shared prosperity of the two nations' people and regional stability and growth.
Ahead of the session, the Vietnamese mission in Geneva also coordinated with the missions of other ASEAN countries to draft a joint statement commending the ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, economic achievements and growing cooperation areas between the two sides./.
