New Delhi:

India and Vietnam today adopted an action plan to expand their strategic ties with Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowing to work jointly for a rules-based Indo-Pacific and asserting that New Delhi supports development and “not expansionism” in remarks that came amid concerns over China’s military posturing in the region.

The two sides signed six memorandums of understanding (MoUs) and finalised three other documents to broadbase cooperation in a range of areas following wide-ranging talks between PM Modi and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.

It was also decided that India will provide USD 300 million credit line to Vietnam primarily to strengthen the Southeast Asian nation’s maritime security.

An agreement was sealed between the central banks of the two countries for rolling out digital payment connectivity.

Prime Minister Chinh arrived in New Delhi on Tuesday night on a three-day visit that is aimed at further expanding the comprehensive strategic ties between the two countries.

“In our Act East policy and our Indo-Pacific vision, Vietnam is our important partner… We support development, not expansionism (Hum vistarbad nahi, vikasvad ka samarthan karte hei),” PM Modi said in Hindi in his media statement.

“We will continue our cooperation for a free, open, rules-based and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” he said.

PM Modi said that both sides decided that cooperation will be strengthened to deal with terrorism and cyber security issues.

“We believe that ‘Developed India 2047’ and Vietnam’s ‘Vision 2045’ have accelerated development in both countries. This is opening up many new areas of mutual cooperation,” PM Modi said.

“And therefore, to further strengthen our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, today we have adopted a new plan of action,” he said.

PM Modi said new steps have been taken for cooperation in the field of defence and security.

The two prime ministers also remotely inaugurated an Army Software Park at Telecommunications University Nha Trang. It has been built with New Delhi’s development assistance.

“The agreed USD 300 million credit line will strengthen Vietnam’s maritime security,” PM Modi said.

“We agree that, to realise the mutual trade potential, the review of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement should be concluded as early as possible,” he said.

Vietnam is a key member of 10-nation ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations).

“We have decided to focus on the areas of green economy and new emerging technologies. Each other’s capabilities in energy and port development will be harnessed for mutual benefit,” PM Modi said.

The prime minister also invited people from Vietnam to the Buddhist circuit in India. “And we want the youth of Vietnam to also take advantage of Nalanda University.” In his remarks, Modi said India-Vietnam relations have both “expanded and deepened” over the past decade.

“In the last 10 years, we have transformed our relations into a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Our bilateral trade has increased by more than 85 percent,” he said.

“Mutual cooperation has expanded in energy, technology, and development partnership. Mutual cooperation in defence and security areas has gained new momentum,” he said.

“Over the past decade, connectivity has increased. And today we have more than 50 direct flights between us. Along with this, tourism is continuously increasing, and people have also been given the facility of e-visa,” PM Modi said.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

India and Vietnam today adopted an action plan to expand their strategic ties with Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowing to work jointly for a rules-based Indo-Pacific and asserting that New Delhi supports development and “not expansionism” in remarks that came amid concerns over China’s military posturing in the region.

The two sides signed six memorandums of understanding (MoUs) and finalised three other documents to broadbase cooperation in a range of areas following wide-ranging talks between PM Modi and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.

It was also decided that India will provide USD 300 million credit line to Vietnam primarily to strengthen the Southeast Asian nation’s maritime security.

An agreement was sealed between the central banks of the two countries for rolling out digital payment connectivity.

Prime Minister Chinh arrived in New Delhi on Tuesday night on a three-day visit that is aimed at further expanding the comprehensive strategic ties between the two countries.

“In our Act East policy and our Indo-Pacific vision, Vietnam is our important partner… We support development, not expansionism (Hum vistarbad nahi, vikasvad ka samarthan karte hei),” PM Modi said in Hindi in his media statement.

“We will continue our cooperation for a free, open, rules-based and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” he said.

PM Modi said that both sides decided that cooperation will be strengthened to deal with terrorism and cyber security issues.

“We believe that ‘Developed India 2047’ and Vietnam’s ‘Vision 2045’ have accelerated development in both countries. This is opening up many new areas of mutual cooperation,” PM Modi said.

“And therefore, to further strengthen our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, today we have adopted a new plan of action,” he said.

PM Modi said new steps have been taken for cooperation in the field of defence and security.

The two prime ministers also remotely inaugurated an Army Software Park at Telecommunications University Nha Trang. It has been built with New Delhi’s development assistance.

“The agreed USD 300 million credit line will strengthen Vietnam’s maritime security,” PM Modi said.

“We agree that, to realise the mutual trade potential, the review of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement should be concluded as early as possible,” he said.

Vietnam is a key member of 10-nation ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations).

“We have decided to focus on the areas of green economy and new emerging technologies. Each other’s capabilities in energy and port development will be harnessed for mutual benefit,” PM Modi said.

The prime minister also invited people from Vietnam to the Buddhist circuit in India. “And we want the youth of Vietnam to also take advantage of Nalanda University.” In his remarks, Modi said India-Vietnam relations have both “expanded and deepened” over the past decade.

“In the last 10 years, we have transformed our relations into a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Our bilateral trade has increased by more than 85 percent,” he said.

“Mutual cooperation has expanded in energy, technology, and development partnership. Mutual cooperation in defence and security areas has gained new momentum,” he said.

“Over the past decade, connectivity has increased. And today we have more than 50 direct flights between us. Along with this, tourism is continuously increasing, and people have also been given the facility of e-visa,” PM Modi said.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

EAM Dr. Jaishankar at Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam on “India in the Indo-Pacific”. Photo: Twitter/@DrSJaishankar

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on October 16 said that the cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region is in the shared interests of India and Vietnam as he underlined the significance of ASEAN centrality and highlighted the contribution of the Quad grouping.

Mr. Jaishankar, who arrived in Vietnam on Sunday on a four-day official visit, made the remarks during his address to the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam on “India in the Indo-Pacific”.

“Discussed why cooperating in the Indo-Pacific construct is in our shared interests. Underlined the significance of ASEAN centrality and highlighted the contribution of the Quad,” the Minister said in a post on platform X.

“Brought out how India and Vietnam, with their independent mindset, can promote a multipolar and rules-based global order,” he added.

The U.S., India, Japan and Australia compose the Quad, a four-way grouping. 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.

The Indo-Pacific is a biogeographic region, comprising the Indian Ocean and the western and central Pacific Ocean, including the South China Sea.

The U.S., India and several other world powers have been discussing the need to ensure a free, open and thriving Indo-Pacific in the backdrop of China’s rising military manoeuvring in the resource-rich region.

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. China also has territorial disputes with Japan in the East China Sea.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is considered one of the most influential groupings in the region, and India and several other countries including the US, China, Japan and Australia are its dialogue partners.

The 10 member countries of ASEAN are Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia.

The ties between India and ASEAN have been on a significant upswing in the last few years with the focus being on boosting cooperation in the areas of trade and investment as well as security and defence.

Earlier in the day, Mr. 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, amidst China’s aggressive behaviour in the region.

Mr. Jaishankar also attended a meeting of the 18th India-Vietnam Joint Commission in Hanoi on Monday.

From Vietnam, Mr. Jaishankar will travel to Singapore for a visit from October 19 to 20.