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India’s Union Minister for Tribal Affairs Jual Oram on Wednesday (March 18, 2026) met his Vietnamese counterpart to discuss a Memorandum of Cooperation between India’s Tribal Affairs Ministry and the Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs of Vietnam, a statement from the Tribal Affairs Ministry said.
After the review of a draft of the Memorandum, “aimed at institutionalising collaboration between the Ministries”, the Vietnamese said the draft had been approved and hoped it would be finalised soon. Mr. Oram was invited to Vietnam for the signing of the final agreement, to which he “responded positively”, the Ministry said.
This came a day after officials from both countries “exchanged perspectives on policy frameworks, development strategies, and best practices concerning tribal and ethnic communities.”
Collaboration potential
During the bilateral meeting on Wednesday, discussions were also held on key areas of collaboration, including livelihood promotion, value addition to forest-based products, sustainable agriculture, skill development, research partnerships, and cultural documentation. “Both sides recognised the importance of sharing best practices and leveraging similarities in socio-cultural contexts to strengthen outcomes for tribal and ethnic communities,” the Ministry statement said.
During the interaction, Mr. Oram also spoke of the recent exposition of the Sacred Relics of Lord Buddha from Sarnath in Vietnam. He noted the public response to the exposition, saying, “Millions of devotees paying homage reflected the strong cultural connect between the peoples of the two nations”.
The Vietnamese delegation also appreciated “India’s continued support” and “commitment” to the “inclusive growth for its 54 ethnic groups through targeted interventions in infrastructure, livelihoods, education, healthcare, and cultural preservatio,” the Tribal Affairs Ministry said.
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