India, Vietnam explore partnerships to support economic development, national security

India and Vietnam on Monday held the 12th round of Political Consultations and the ninth round of Strategic Dialogue between the foreign ministries of the two countries and explored new opportunities for partnership to support each other's economic development and national security.

"Both sides exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual interest, especially in the context of the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the on-going crisis in Ukraine, as they explored new opportunities for partnership to support each other's economic development and national security," a Ministry of External Affairs release said.

Saurabh Kumar, Secretary (East), MEA co-chaired the Political Consultations and the Strategic Dialogue between the foreign ministries with his counterpart, Vice Foreign Minister Nguyen Minh Vu.

The release said Secretary (East) reaffirmed India's position of regarding Vietnam as a key partner in our Act East Policy and the Indo-Pacific Vision.

He conveyed India's readiness to continue extending development and capacity building assistance to Vietnam through initiatives such as Quick Impact Projects, ITEC and e-ITEC initiatives, PhD fellowships, digital connectivity and heritage conservation.

In a tweet, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said the discussions covered bilateral, regional and global issues of shared interest between two Comprehensive Strategic Partners.

The MEA statement said the two sides agreed to enhance physical connectivity and promote tourism and people-to-people exchanges, including by leveraging their shared Buddhist linkages and the popularity of Yoga in Vietnam.

India and Vietnam expressed satisfaction over their close coordination at regional and multilateral forums. They agreed to enhance their bilateral cooperation in line with India's Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative and the ASEAN's Outlook on Indo-Pacific to achieve shared security, prosperity and growth for all in the region.

Both sides reviewed recent developments in their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership guided by the "Joint Vision for Peace, Prosperity and People" adopted by the Prime Ministers of India and Vietnam during their Virtual Summit in December 2020 and the Plan of Action for 2021-2023 signed by their Foreign Ministers.

They expressed satisfaction over the sustained momentum in their multifaceted relations, despite the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, with frequent high-level engagements, including the recent telephone conversation between Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and the General Secretary of Communist Party of Vietnam, H.E. Mr. Nguyen Phu Trong, as well as the visit of Speaker of Lok Sabha to Vietnam in April 2022.

The two sides also discussed future cooperation agenda, including high-level exchanges and activities to mark the 50th anniversary of India-Vietnam Diplomatic Relations this year.

During his visit, Secretary (East) also called on the Foreign Minister of Vietnam Bui Thanh Son and conveyed to him External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's greetings and invitation to visit India in June 2022 for the Special ASEAN-India Foreign Ministers' Meeting and Delhi Dialogue.

( With inputs from ANI )