ISLAMABAD-UNS – Nguyen Tien Phong, Ambassador of Vietnam in Islamabad, has hailed the proposed Gandhara Corridor Project as a major vehicle of regional connectivity, interfaith harmony and cultural tourism.
While delivering the keynote address on ‘Envisioning Comprehensive Pakistan-Vietnam Cooperation: Prospects and Opportunities’ organized by the NUST Institute of Policy Studies (NIPS), a leading g think-tank of NUST, based in Islamabad, on Wednesday, the ambassador said Gandhara tourism is a symbol of the shared Buddhist heritage, and could attract Vietnam tourists.
According to him, several historical archeological Gandhara sites located in different parts of Pakistan’s cities, including Taxila, Peshawar, Mardan, and Swat are sacred holy places in the eyes of Buddhists and having potential to attract international tourists from Vietnam and other countries. He emphasized that devising a joint strategy in this regard could generate multiple opportunities for mutual cooperation.
On cultural connectivity, he said that there is an urgent need to encourage increased cultural contacts and trade exchanges between young Pakistanis and Vietnamese for a sustainable, long-term bilateral partnership. It is worth mentioning that Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, a minority MNA, has recently introduced a bill in the National Assembly to establish the Gandhara Corridor to connect Pakistan with the Buddhist majority countries, including Vietnam.
Recalling the bilateral diplomatic relations, the envoy said “Vietnam and Pakistan have celebrated 50 years of relations,” acknowledging that “Pakistan has always supported Vietnam in all the international forums.”
While elaborating the bilateral cooperation between the two countries, the ambassador said, Vietnamese professionals can help Pakistani counterparts in value addition in many business areas, leading to exports reaching EU markets under the free trade agreements.
He also expressed his country’s commitment to promoting Pak-Vietnam partnership in trade, education, IT, tourism, science and technology.
The ambassador, in his concluding remarks, expressed his deep appreciation for the NUST knowledge ecosystem and identified higher education cooperation, IT technology and S&T collaboration as a win-win priority area where rapid mutual gains could be made.
