Hanoi, Oct 16 (PTI) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday met Vietnam’s top leadership 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 strategic region.
Jaishankar, who arrived here on a four-day official visit to Vietnam on Sunday, called on Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and conveyed the greetings 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,” he said in a post on platform X.
Earlier, 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.
Jaishankar and Son also unveiled commemorative stamps celebrating 50 years of establishment of diplomatic ties between India and Vietnam.
“Stamps depicting Kalaripayattu and Vovinam capture our shared affinity for sports and celebrate the strong cultural, social & people-to-people links between India and Vietnam,” he posted on X.
Jaishnakar said he had a useful exchange of views with Le Hoai Trung, Chairman of the External Relation Commission of the Communist Party of Vietnam.
“The convergent approach of India and Vietnam on key regional and global issues was manifest,” he added.
He also attended a meeting of the 18th India-Vietnam Joint Commission in Hanoi.
“Thank my co-chair @FMBuiThanhSon. Our discussions covered cooperation in political, defence & maritime security, judicial, trade & investment, energy, development, education & training, science & technology, cultural domains,” he said.
“Convinced that our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership will only further strengthen over the coming years. Also shared perspectives on the Indo-Pacific region, our commitment to global issues and our collaboration in various multilateral groupings,” he said.
The Indo-Pacific is a biogeographic region, comprising the Indian Ocean and the western and central Pacific Ocean, including the South China Sea.
The US, 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.
In his address to the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam on “India in the Indo-Pacific”, Jaishankar 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.
The US, 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.
From Vietnam, Jaishankar will travel to Singapore for a visit from October 19 to 20. PTI MRJ/ZH AKJ ZH ZH
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