Journal Press India^®

Author Details ( * ) denotes Corresponding author

Transport infrastructure connectivity plays an important role in promoting trade between two countries, and creating an impetus for economic development and international cooperation. A synchronous, modern, flexible and appropriate transport infrastructure connectivity system promotes trade, boosts productivity and efficiency of cooperation, and promotes linkages between countries. The Mekong - India Economic Corridor (MIEC) is considered a bridge between India and the Mekong sub-region, including the CLMV countries (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam). Despite the position of an end point in the connectivity system, Vietnam is an important factor in India's Look East strategy. Enhancing transport infrastructure connectivity through the MIEC will help promote Vietnam - India comprehensive strategic partnership effectively. The paper, based on objective assessment, presents an in-depth perspective on the transport infrastructure connectivity between Vietnam and India through the MIEC and figures out the bottlenecks in connectivity, cooperation and development between the two countries.

Keywords

Transport infrastructure; Connectivity; MIEC; Vietnam; India

1. ADB (2008). Sector assistance program evaluation: transport and trade facilitation in the Greater Mekong subregion - Time to shift gears. Asian Development Bank: Independent Evaluation Department. Retrieved from https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/ institutional-document/33146/files/gms-transport-sape-mr.pdf.
2. Anand, V. & Mishra, R. (2014). India’s “Act East” policy: A perspective. VIVEK: Issues and Options, 3(5), 25 – 32.
3. Asian Development Bank (2015a). Connecting south asia and southeast asia (A joint study of the asian development bank and the asian development bank institute). Retrieved from https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/publication/159083/adbi-connecting-south-asia-southeast-asia.pdf.
4. Asian Development Bank (2015b). Regional transport infrastructure: Mapping projects to bridge South Asia and Southeast Asia. Retrieved from https://www.adb.org/sites/ default/files/publication/174393/regional-transport-infrastruc ture.pdf
5. Bhattacharyay, B. N. (2010). Institutions for Asian connectivity. (ADBI Working Paper Series No. 220). Retrieved from https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/publication/ 156075/adbi-wp220.pdf
6. Bhattacharyay, B., Nag, R. & Kawai, M. (2012). Infrastructure for Asian connectivity, Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar.
7. Brakman, S., Garretsen, H. & Van, M. C. (2001). An introduction to geographical economics: Trade, location and growth. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
8. Cân, V. (2014, December 4). Hành động hướng Đông của Ấn Độ [Act East Policy of India]. Đảng Cộng Sản [Communist Party of Vietnam Online Newspaper]. Retrived from https://dangcongsan.vn/the-gioi/tin-tuc/hanh-dong-phia-dong-cua-an-do-277698. html
9. Chatterji, R. & Chaudhury, A. B. R. (2021, February 22). Reimagining BIMSTEC strengthening regional solidarity across the Bay of Bengal. Observer Research Foundation. Retrieved from https://www.orfonline.org/research/reimagining-bimstec-strengthening-regional-solidarity-across-the-bay-of-bengal/
10. Chaudhury, D. R. (2021). India, Vietnam could emerge as key pillars of global supply chain initiative. Retrieved from https://economictimes.indiatimes.com /news/economy/ foreign-trade/india-vietnam-could-emerge-as-key-pillars-of-global-supply-chain-initiativ e/articleshow/84630746.cms?from=md
11. Communist Party of Vietnam Online Newspaper  (2016). Quyết định số 1734/QĐ-TTg, ngày 6/9/2016 của Thủ tướng Chính phủ phê duyệt Đề án “Chính sách phát triển đồng bộ kết cấu hạ tầng, gắn phát triển kết cấu hạ tầng trong nước với mạng lưới hạ tầng trong các liên kết khu vực” [Decision No. 1734/QD-TTg, dated September 6, 2016 of the Prime Minister approving the project "Policy for synchronous development of infrastructure, linking domestic infrastructure development with infrastructure network in regional links”]. Retrieved from https://tulieuvankien.dangcongsan.vn/he-thong-van-ban/van-ban-quy-pham-phap-luat/quyet-dinh-so-1734qd-ttg-ngay-692016-cua-thu-tuong-chinh-phu-phe-duyet-de-an-chinh-sach-phat-trien-dong-bo-ket-cau-ha-tang-2257.
12. Đào, B. T. (2012). Quan hệ Ấn Độ – ASEAN trong thập niên đầu thế kỷ XXI” [India-ASEAN relations in the first decade of the 21st century]. Unpublished master’s thesis. Hồ Chí Minh: Trường đại học Sư phạm TP Hồ Chí Minh [Ho Chi Minh City: University of Education].
13. Datta, S. (2017). India – the bridge linking South and Southeast Asia. Observer Research Foundation. Retrived from https://www.orfonline.org/research/india-the-bridge-linking-south-and-southeast-asia/
14. Desai, S. (2017, December 19). ASEAN and India converge on connectivity the ASEAN-India connectivity summit is the latest step in furthering physical ties between India and Southeast Asia. The Diplomat. Retrieved from https://thediplomat.com/ 2017/12/asean-and-india-converge-on-connectivity/
15. Douglas H. B. (2016). Connecting Asia: Infrastructure for integrating South and Southeast Asia. Asian-Pacific Economic Literature, 30(2), 105-106.
16. Douglas, H. B. & Menon, J. (2008). Infrastructure and trade in Asia. Massachusetts, USA: Edward Elgar Publisher.
17. Drishti (2021, March 18). India’s act east policy. Drisht. Retrieved from https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-s-act-east-policy-1.
18. ERIA (2009). Mekong-India Economic Corridor Development (ERIA Research Project Report). Jakarta: ERIA. Retrieved from https://www.eria.org/publications/mekong-india-economic-corridor-development/
19. ERIA (2009). Mekong-India economic corridor development. Concept Paper. Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia. Retrieved from https://www.eria.org/uploads/media/Research-Project-Report/RPR-2008-4-2.pdf
20. ERIA (2020). The India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway and its possible eastward extension to Lao PDR, Cambodia, and Viet Nam: Challenges and opportunities (ERIA Research Project Report FY2020 no.02a). Jakarta: ERIA.
21. Hong, Y. (2017). Infrastructure connectivity and regional economic integration in East Asia: Progress and challenges. Singapore: East Asian Institute, National University of Singapore.
22. Japan International Cooperation Agency Dream Incubator Inc (2013). Vietnam a study on the current situation of ports and strategies for optimized container port operation in Southern Vietnam (Final report, September 2013). Retrieved from https://openjicareport.jica.go.jp/pdf/1000022238.pdf
23. Kimura, F., Kudo, T. & Umezaki, S. (2011). ASEAN-India connectivity: A regional framework and key infrastructure projects. In F. Kimura & S. Umezaki (Eds.), ASEAN-India Connectivity: The Comprehensive Asia Development Plan, Phase II. Jakarta, Indonesia: ERIA.
24. Kumagai, S. & Isono, I. (2011). Economic impacts of enhanced ASEAN-India connectivity: Simulation results from IDE/ ERIA-GSN. In F. Kimura & S. Umezaki, (Eds.), ASEAN-India Connectivity: The Comprehensive Asia Development Plan, Phase II. Jakarta, Indonesia: ERIA.
25. Kumar, P. (2008). India-Vietnam Economic Relations: Opportunities & Challenges. IPCS Special Report. No. 57, July 2008 Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep09302?seq=7
26. Marsh & McLennan (2017). Closing the financing gap: Infrastructure bankability in Asia. New York: Marsh and McLennan Companies. Inc. Companies’ Asia Pacific Risk Center
27. Michael, G. P., Morgan, P. J. & Wignaraja, G. (2016). Connecting Asia: Infrastructure for integrating South and Southeast Asia. Edward Elgar: USA: Edward Elgar.
28. Overman, H. G., Redding, S. & Venables, A. (2003). The economic geography of trade, production and income: A survey of empirics. In E. K. Choi & Harrigan, J. (Eds.), Handbook of international trade (pp 353–387). Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.
29. Pham, D. M., Mishra, D., Cheong, K. C., Arnold, J., Trinh, A. M., Ngo, H.T.N. & Nguyen, H. T. P. (2013). Trade facilitation, value creation, and competiveness: Policy implications for Vietnam’s economic growth, Volume 1. Washington, DC: The World Bank.
30. Serafeim Polyzos, S. & Dimitrios Tsiotas, D. (2020). The contribution of transport infrastructures to economic and regional development: A review of the conceptual framework. Theoretical and Empirical Researches in Urban Management, 15(1), 5 – 23. 
31. Prabir, D. (2011). ASEAN-India connectivity: An Indian perspective. In F. Kimura & S. Umezaki (Eds.), ASEAN-India Connectivity: The Comprehensive Asia Development Plan, Phase II. Jakarta, Indonesia: ERIA.
32. Prabir, D. (2014). ASEAN- India deepening economic partnership in Mekong region. New Delhi: Research and information system for developing countries (RIS).
33. Pulipaka, S., Singh, A. G. & Sircar, S. (2017). India and connectivity frameworks. New Delhi, India: Delhi Policy Group.
34. Qin Y (2016). China’s transport infrastructure investment: Past, present, and future. Asian Economic Policy Review, Vol. 11, No. 2, 199–217. Retrieved from DOI: 10.1111/ aepr.12135.
35. Schwab, K. (2019). The Global Competitiveness Report 2019 (Insight Report - World Economic Forum). Retrieved from https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_TheGlobal CompetitivenessReport2019.pdf
36. Thanh, N. X. (2010). Vietnam’s Infrastructure Constraints. Policy Dialogue Paper, No. 1. United Nations Development Programme – Vietnam Programme Center for Business and Government.
37. Vajpayee, A. B. (2001, May 16). Address by former Indian Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee at the Institute of Diplomatic and Foreign Relations. Kualar Lumpur, Malaysia.
38. World Bank (2019). Connecting Vietnam for growth and shared prosperity development report 2019. Final Report December 2019. Retrieved from https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/33139/Vietnam-Develop ment-Report-2019-Connecting-Vietnam-for-Growth-and-Shared-Prosperity.pdf? sequence=1&isAllowed=y