External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday met Vietnam Vice Foreign Minister, Dang Dinh Quy, and discussed ways to take forward the bilateral relations.
“Vice Foreign Minister Dang Dinh Quy of Vietnam called on EAM @sushmaswaraj today. They discussed comprehensive strategic partnership between India and Vietnam and the plan of action to further expand our relationship,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted shortly after the meeting.
Dang Dinh Quy is in India for the annual comprehensive strategic partnership dialogue that took place on Monday between him and Preeti Saran, Secretary (East) in Ministry of External Affairs. This was the 10th Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) and 7th Strategic Dialogue between India and Vietnam. At the FOC, the two sides held deliberations on the entire gamut of bilateral relations, including political and security, trade and investment, pharmaceuticals, energy, agriculture, connectivity, lines of credit and other capacity building projects in Vietnam and people-to-people ties.
During the Strategic Dialogue, both sides exchanged views on issues of mutual interest at regional and multilateral levels, including cooperation at UN and other international organisations. Both sides also discussed maritime security, counter-terrorism cooperation, developments in their respective regions etc. The Vietnamese side reaffirmed its support for India’s candidature for a Permanent seat in an expanded UNSC.
India and Vietnam formally upgraded their relationship status to “comprehensive strategic partnership” in 2016, after remaining strategic partners for a decade.
Defence and trade are important components of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries. India and Vietnam also have convergence of views on the issue of freedom of navigation and economic activity in the South China Sea.
There have been two high-level visits to India from the Vietnamese side earlier this year. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc was one of the chief guests for the Republic Day Parade this year, while President Tran Dai Quang also paid a visit to India last month.