Hanoi, Vietnam- External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar held high-level discussions with Vietnam’s top leadership, focusing on enhancing bilateral cooperation in trade, energy, defense, and maritime security. The talks also covered shared perspectives on the Indo-Pacific, especially in light of China’s assertive actions in the region.
Jaishankar’s visit to Vietnam, spanning four days, included a meeting with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, during which he conveyed the regards of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“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,” Jaishankar stated on a social media platform.
Earlier, Jaishankar met with his Vietnamese counterpart, Bui Thanh Son. During their discussions, they explored avenues to boost cooperation in various sectors, including trade, energy, defense, and maritime security. They also shared insights into the Indo-Pacific.
The two ministers jointly unveiled commemorative stamps commemorating the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Vietnam. These stamps feature images of Kalaripayattu and Vovinam, underscoring the shared affinity for sports and celebrating the robust cultural, social, and people-to-people connections between the two nations.
The 18th India-Vietnam Joint Commission meeting was co-chaired by the two leaders, and discussions encompassed various aspects, including political, defense, maritime security, judicial matters, trade, investment, energy, development, education, training, science, technology, and culture.
Both sides expressed their belief that their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership would continue to strengthen over the years to come. They also discussed the Indo-Pacific region and their commitment to global issues and cooperation within multilateral groups.
During the meeting, the bilateral relationship was thoroughly reviewed, considering the period since the 17th meeting in August 2020 and the implementation of the action plan for the Vietnam-India comprehensive strategic partnership for 2021-2023, as reported by the state-run Vietnam News Agency (VNA).
Both India and Vietnam reiterated the significance of upholding peace, stability, security, safety, freedom of navigation and aviation, as well as compliance with international law in the East Sea. They emphasized resolving disputes in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The two ministers pledged to strengthen cooperation in science, technology, information, and the organization of the 4th meeting of the Joint Working Group on Information Technology. They also agreed to negotiate and sign the Vietnam-India Digital Partnership Agreement.
Both nations committed to increased exchanges at all levels, continued implementation of existing bilateral cooperation mechanisms, and the establishment of an economic diplomacy dialogue mechanism at the deputy foreign minister level.
Additionally, they pledged to develop an action program for the 2024-2026 period, enhance defense and security cooperation, and negotiate and sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on judicial cooperation between the Ministry of Justice of Vietnam and the Ministry of Law and Justice of India.
The two sides also expressed their intent to create an enabling environment for trade and investment activities with the goal of increasing trade turnover to USD 20 billion.
They considered expanding direct flights between the two countries to further promote cooperation in tourism, economy, trade, and people-to-people exchanges. Both countries vowed to support each other at multilateral forums, particularly within the United Nations.
Jaishankar reaffirmed India’s support for ASEAN’s centrality in the regional structure, with a focus on ASEAN in India’s “Act East” policy. He also committed to strengthening Mekong-Ganga cooperation.
Jaishankar’s visit included a discussion with Le Hoai Trung, Chairman of the External Relation Commission of the Communist Party of Vietnam, where the convergence of India and Vietnam on key regional and global issues was evident.
As the Indo-Pacific region takes center stage in regional and global geopolitics, India and Vietnam’s cooperation in this area is crucial to safeguarding their mutual interests. Jaishankar’s address to the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam on “India in the Indo-Pacific” emphasized the shared interests of the two nations in the region. He underlined the importance of ASEAN centrality and highlighted the contributions of the Quad grouping (comprising the US, India, Japan, and Australia) to regional stability.
India, the United States, and other like-minded countries have been exploring ways to ensure a free, open, and thriving Indo-Pacific, particularly in response to China’s increasing military presence and economic influence in the region.
China has territorial disputes in the South China Sea, where it has constructed artificial islands and military installations. It also has disputes with Japan in the East China Sea.
Jaishankar’s visit to Vietnam will be followed by a trip to Singapore from October 19 to 20.
