Bhubaneswar, June 3 (IANS) Odisha Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati, who led a delegation to Vietnam to bring sacred relics of Lord Buddha back to India, proposed exploring province-level ties between Odisha and Da Nang city in Vietnam, as per an official statement released on Tuesday.

The proposal was made during his meeting with H.E. Le Trung Chinh, Chairman of the Da Nang People’s Committee. The Governor said Odisha is a state with a rich history, strong cultural traditions, and fast economic growth.

“We also have many important Buddhist sites. If Da Nang is interested, we can explore building ties between our two regions,” he added.

Kambhampati praised Da Nang as a beautiful and historic city, making huge progress.

“Da Nang has a vision to become a major port, a centre for high technology, finance, and tourism,” the Governor said.

He added that Da Nang’s location as a vibrant coastal city in central Vietnam makes it important for economic and trade cooperation between India and Vietnam.

The Governor thanked the Vietnamese government and the people of Da Nang for their warm hospitality and the excellent arrangements made for the sacred relics of Lord Buddha, which received an overwhelming response from the local population.

“These relics are accorded the highest protocol by the Government of India, and I have personally travelled to accompany them back,” he said.

Governor Kambhampati said that Buddhism has been a strong link between India and Vietnam for nearly 1,800 years. He said India values its Buddhist heritage and is working hard to protect and promote Buddhist sites.

He also spoke about the growing partnership between India and Vietnam. He mentioned the visit of the Vietnamese Prime Minister to India last year and a meeting between the Indian Prime Minister and Vietnam’s President and Party General Secretary To Lam in New York in 2024, which helped strengthen ties.

The Governor said cooperation between the two countries is expanding in areas like trade, defence, tourism, health, digital economy, education, and sustainable development.

He praised Da Nang’s support in working with the Indian Embassy to promote yoga, cultural exchange, and academic ties. He also noted that more direct flights between the two countries have helped improve people-to-people contact.

Kambhampati also shared his experience of visiting the UNESCO World Heritage Site at My Son in central Vietnam. He appreciated the work of the Indian archaeological team restoring ancient temples and said the project is a strong symbol of the close historical and cultural connection between India and Vietnam.

–IANS

gyan/dan