Prime Minister Modi and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh delivered a joint press statement in New Delhi today.
New Delhi:
India and Vietnam today adopted an action plan to expand strategic ties, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledging to work together towards a rules-based Indo-Pacific amid growing concerns about China’s military posture in the region, and stressing that New Delhi supports development “not expansionism.”
The two sides signed six Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) and finalised three documents for extensive cooperation in various fields following wide-ranging talks between PM Modi and his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh.
It was also decided that India would provide a $300 million credit line to Vietnam to strengthen maritime security, primarily in the Southeast Asian nation.
An agreement was signed between the central banks of the two countries on the rollout of digital payment connectivity.
Chin arrived in New Delhi on Tuesday evening on a three-day visit aimed at further expanding the comprehensive strategic ties between the two countries.
“Vietnam is an important partner in our Act East policy and Indo-Pacific vision. We support development, not expansionism. (Hum vistavad nahi, vikasvad ka samarthan karte hai).“,” PM Modi said in Hindi in a media statement.
“We will continue to work together for a free, open, rules-based and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” he said.
PM Modi said the two sides had decided to strengthen cooperation to address issues of terrorism and cyber security.
“I believe that ‘Advanced India 2047’ and Vietnam’s ‘Vision 2045’ have accelerated the development of our two countries. This will open up many new areas of mutual cooperation,” PM Modi said.
“Therefore, to further strengthen our comprehensive strategic partnership, we adopted a new action plan today,” he said.
Prime Minister Modi said new steps have been taken towards cooperation in the areas of defence and security.
The two Prime Ministers also inaugurated the Army Software Park remotely at Nha Trang University of Communications, which was built with development assistance from the Government of India.
“The agreed $300 million credit line will strengthen Vietnam’s maritime security,” PM Modi said.
“We agree that the review of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement should be completed as soon as possible to realise the potential of mutual trade,” he said.
Vietnam is a leading member of the 10-nation ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations).
“We have decided to focus on the areas of green economy and emerging technologies. We will leverage each other’s capabilities in energy and port development for mutual benefit,” PM Modi said.
The prime minister also invited Vietnamese people to tour Buddhist sites in India, “and I also want the Vietnamese youth to take advantage of Nalanda University.” In his speech, PM Modi said India-Vietnam ties have “expanded and deepened” over the past decade.
“Over the past decade, relations between the two countries have transformed into a comprehensive strategic partnership. Bilateral trade has increased by more than 85 percent,” he said.
“Mutual cooperation in energy, technology and development partnerships has expanded. Mutual cooperation in the defence and security sector has gained new momentum,” he said.
“Connectivity has improved over the last decade and there are currently over 50 direct flights between the two countries. This has led to a continuous increase in tourist numbers and our citizens are also being provided with e-visa facility,” PM Modi said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
