India urges airlines in Vietnam to explore possibilities of direct flights to north-eastern states
External Affairs Rajkumar Ranjan Singh on Saturday urged airlines from Vietnam to explore launching direct flights to cities in north-eastern states of India to provide increased investment and tourism opportunities to both countries.
Guwahati, considered the Gateway to Southeast Asia, has an international airport with direct flights connecting Bangkok and Singapore, Singh said while addressing a session on investment and trade at the North East India Festival here.
«All eight North East states are well connected by air, land and rail with other parts of India.
I invite airlines from Vietnam to explore possibilities of connecting NE states with cities by air,» he said.
Singh said that India and Vietnam are long-standing friends with their bilateral relations and friendship rooted in shared history. He said the relation has been further strengthened by India's Act East Policy.
«It has further fostered its strategic relationship promoting economic cooperation and strengthening cultural ties with ASEAN countries. Our journey from the establishment of diplomatic relations to comprehensive strategic partnership has been further enhanced since Prime Minister Narendra Modi's historic visit to Vietnam in 2016,» the minister said.
The bilateral trade between India and Vietnam has increased exponentially since 2000 when it was only USD 200 million but it crossed the USD 15 billion mark in 2022.
