First Namaste Vietnam Fest To Be Held To Mark 75 Years of Indian Independence

The 10-day fest in August has been planned in accordance with PM Narendra Modi's India’s Act East policy.

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The first ever Namaste Vietnam Festival will be held in Ho Chi Minh City and Nha Trang from 12-21 August to mark 75 years of Indian independence.

The 10-day fest has been planned in accordance with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's India's Act East policy which treats Vietnam as a key ally in the region.

Among those who will walk the red carpet is a big delegation from the Indian Film industry led by award-winning filmmakers like Rahul Mittra, Umesh Shukla, Rahul Rawail, Kumar Mangat, Shree Narayan Singh, Mikhil Musale, Rajesh Mapuskar, Chandrakant Singh, according to American Bazaar.

It will also include actors like Randhir Kapoor, Raima Sen, Avika Gor (from Balika Vadhu), Soma Laishram, Himakshi Kalita, and Sulakhyana Baruah.

India values ties with Vietnam for many reasons, such as countering China geopolitically, its trade relations with East Asia, and for improving the navy's strategic presence in the region.

As Rajeev Ranjan Chaturvedy writes in The Hindu, "Ever since the formal declaration of a strategic partnership in 2007 and Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2016, the scope and scale of the India-Vietnam strategic and defence cooperation, particularly in the maritime domain, is deepening with a clear vision, institutional mechanisms and the necessary political support from both governments."