New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh, who is on a three-day state visit to India, and was seen sharing a warm hug with the leader as Chinh was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Thursday. Chinh began his visit to India on July 30 and will conclude his trip today.
PM Modi received his Vietnamese counterpart at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. The two leaders shared a warm hug as they greeted each other. He then inspected a Guard of Honour by the combined defence services. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel, and Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal were present on the occasion.
PM Modi and Pham Minh Chinh also met officials from the delegations of the two nations after his ceremonial welcome at the presidential palace. During his visit, the Vietnamese Prime Minister was accompanied by a high-level delegation including several Ministers, deputy Ministers and business leaders.
Chinh later visited the Raj Ghat to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi. He will hold bilateral discussions with Prime Minister Modi, who will also host a luncheon in his honour. The Vietnam PM is also scheduled to call on President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar.
On Wednesday, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar called on the Vietnam PM, where the latter expressed gratitude and thanked India for the warm reception. "I want to thank you for your time, seeing me this afternoon. I want to thank you for your efforts in arranging my visit to India with such short notice and a very tight schedule. I would like to thank the two foreign ministries for making the best preparations for this visit," Pham Minh Chinh said.
In response, Jaishankar expressed pleasure and stated that Chinh is one of the earliest visitors after the elections and that the government has taken over in its third term, adding, "It's a very special privilege to receive him." Further, Jaishankar conveyed his condolences for the death of Secretary General Niren Fu-Chang.
India and Vietnam have age-old historical and civilisational ties, which were elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during the visit of Prime Minister to Vietnam in September 2016. India considers Vietnam as a key pillar of its Act East Policy and an important partner in its Indo-Pacific vision, as per the Ministry of External Affairs.
(with ANI inputs)
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