External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on Monday visited Vietnam's top leadership, including Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, to discuss ways to boost bilateral cooperation in several areas including trade, defence, energy and maritime security.
The external affairs minister called on the Vietnamese leader and conveyed the greetings of PM Narendra Modi. He had kickstarted his four-day trip to Vietnam as part of his two-nation visit to countries in Southeast Asia.
"Honoured to call on PM Pham Minh Chinh of Vietnam today evening. Conveyed the greetings of PM @narendramodi. Valued his guidance for the further development of our bilateral relationship. A stronger India-Vietnam partnership contributes to a stable, secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific," he said on social media platform X.
Earlier, Jaishankar met his Vietnamese counterpart Bui Thanh Son and discussed ways to boost cooperation in areas like trade, energy, defence and maritime security while also sharing perspectives on the Indo-Pacific.
In his remarks during an address to the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam on 'India in the Indo-Pacific', Jaishankar said that the cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region is in the shared interests of India and Vietnam, highlighting the significance of the Quad group and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) centrality.
"Brought out how India and Vietnam, with their independent mindset, can promote a multipolar and rules-based global order," further said the EAM. He and Son also unveiled commemorative stamps celebrating 50 years of the establishment of diplomatic ties between India and Vietnam.
Jaishankar also met Le Hoai Trung, Chairman of the External Relation Commission of the Communist Party of Vietnam and co-chaired a meeting of the 18th India-Vietnam Joint Commission in Hanoi.
"Our discussions covered cooperation in political, defense & maritime security, judicial, trade & investment, energy, development, education & training, science & technology, cultural domains. Convinced that our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership will only further strengthen over the coming years," he tweeted.
"India and Vietnam share a robust comprehensive strategic partnership. Vietnam is a key member of our Act East Policy. The external affairs minister's visit will provide an opportunity to review progress in several areas and discuss ways to further enhance bilateral cooperation," said the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Saturday.
After concluding his Vietnam visit, Jaishankar will travel to Singapore from October 19 and 20. During his visit, EAM will meet his Singaporean counterpart and the top leadership of the country and will also chair the regional conference of Indian Heads of Missions, according to MEA.
India's position in the Indo-Pacific region.
India has repeatedly called for an open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region, the biogeographic region, comprising the Indian Ocean and the western and central Pacific Ocean, including the South China Sea, based on international norms.
China claims nearly all of the disputed South China Sea, though Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam all claim parts of it. Beijing has built artificial islands and military installations in the South China Sea, leading to territorial disputes with Japan and the Philippines. The growing Chinese aggression is also a major reason for US-China tensions.
The US, India, Japan and Australia make up the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) and have been discussing the need to ensure a free, open and thriving Indo-Pacific in the backdrop of China's rising military aggressiveness in the resource-rich region. They have been stepping up cooperation in various fields such as defence and energy amid China's increasing military and economic clout in the region.
Additionally, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), one of the most influential groupings in the region, has India and other countries as dialogue partners. Relations between India and ASEAN have grown significantly over the last few years focusing on cooperation in trade, investment and security.
(with PTI inputs)
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