External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar today said that Vietnam is a key partner in India’s Act East Policy, in Vision MAHASAGAR, and in its outlook of the Indo-Pacific. The Minister said this while co-chairing the 19th session of the India-Vietnam Joint Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technological Cooperation in New Delhi.
Dr Jaishankar said that Vietnam is an important partner in the framework of its Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with ASEAN. He said that the meeting is an opportunity to review the implementation of the commitments which have been made and to translate the political momentum at the highest level into concrete, tangible outcomes for its peoples.
The Minister noted that the bilateral ties between India and Vietnam have progressed significantly since the previous meeting of the Joint Commission held three years ago. He also highlighted that the visit of the relationship between them have helped to elevate their relationship to an Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Dr Jaishankar’s meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam, Le Hoai Trung, reviewed the full spectrum of bilateral relations under the India-Vietnam Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The two sides exchanged views on regional and global developments of mutual interest and reaffirmed their commitment to closer cooperation and coordination in regional and multilateral fora.
The meeting identified the way forward on deepening ongoing defence and security collaboration, including through co-production of Indian defence items, expanding trade, investments and mutually beneficial supply chains, market access for Indian marine and agricultural products and pharmaceuticals, financial, port and air connectivity, opportunities in the nuclear energy and space sector, capacity building, and people-to-people ties. They also agreed to observe next year as the Year of India-Vietnam Friendship to mark 55 years of diplomatic ties. They welcomed Vietnam’s engagement under India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative.
The Ministers expressed satisfaction at the upward and growing trajectory of bilateral relations. The Ministry said that Vietnam is a key pillar of India’s Act East Policy, rooted in deep civilisational linkages. It added that the India-Vietnam Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership continues to grow from strength to strength across established and new areas of cooperation.
