The Hindu Business Line : Bengal urges Vietnam to import tea, leather

THE West Bengal Chief Minister, Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, has urged Vietnam to give a closer look to import of tea, leather and fresh fruits from India.

Seeking closer business ties with Ho Chi Minh City, in particular, and the Vietnamese entrepreneurs in general, the Mr Bhattacharjee, said at the inaugural session of the third CII-organised Exim Summit here today, the State was capable of supplying quality mangoes and lichis to Vietnam, and also value-added leather products, including premium stuff such as blue goat skins of the highest quality.

Welcoming a 27-member delegation from Vietnam, now on a scouting mission to Bengal, Mr Bhattacharjee also offered the State's cooperation and support to Vietnam in the IT sector, particularly in software development. Responding to the suggestion of the Ambassador of the Republic of Vietnam to India, Mr Tran Trong Khanh, that the Bengal Chief Minister should lead a high-powered business delegation to Vietnam to discuss closer economic co-operation, Mr Bhattacharjee said, "I would be too glad to do this without any further delay, given the close cultural and business ties the State has had in the past with the Mekong delta nation.

He urged the CII to take up the necessary groundwork for putting together a compact business delegation.

Suggesting various measures to boost India-Vietnam economic and business ties in the short term, Mr Tran said the aviation authorities of both the countries should consider a direct flight between Kolkata and Ho Chi Minh City as a first step for facilitating greater and easier movement of personnel.

Stressing on the urgent need to boost the sagging momentum of India-Vietnam business ties through more business and cultural visits, he said Bengal too should consider giving special treatment (by way of tariffs and taxes, wherever State laws permit such concessions) to goods and services from Ho Chi Minh City.

The Vietnamese envoy also called for a comprehensive economic cooperation agreement between the two countries, following the declaration of the framework agreement on co-operation in October 2004. He sought an action plan on the basis of the joint declaration to foster long-term partnerships between India and Vietnam.

According to Mr Manoj Kumar, Zonal Joint Director General of Foreign Trade, DGFT, the annual growth of India's exports last year at around 31 per cent was a positive sign, "which should take us closer to the $150-billion export target by 2010."

He said while the growth during the 97-2003 period was a modest 6.6 per cent, beginning 2003 till date, the average export growth of 20.4 per cent was expected to give a big boost to India in its proposed $500 billion international trade engagement (as envisaged by the Prime Minister) in the next 5 years.

The key items of export from India to Vietnam were iron ore and ferro-alloys, leather products, plastic products, iron & steel items, tea and jute goods. The items imported from Vietnam are machinery, edible oil, coal and coke, organic and inorganic chemicals.

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