Vietnam appreciates India’s principled position on the South China Sea issue, Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong told Prime Minister Narendra Modi when the latter called on him, sources said.
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“Our decision to upgrade our Strategic Partnership to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership captures the intent and path of our future cooperation”.
Earlier in June, China had blocked India’s entry into the nuclear trade grouping, citing its non-signatory status to the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
“I am also happy to announce a new Defence Line of Credit for Vietnam of Dollars 500 million for facilitating deeper defence cooperation”, Modi said after the signing of the agreements. President Xi also said that Beijing would try hard to boost co-operation with New Delhi and resolve outstanding bilateral issues through peaceful negotiation.
Modi said that his discussions with Prime Minister Phuc covered the full range of bilateral and multilateral cooperation.
Modi also said India needs energy to support its development.
“All sides must peacefully solve East Sea disputes based on global laws”, he added, referring to the contested waterway where the Philippines, Brunei, Taiwan and Malaysia also have claims.
China, in the meantime, is seeking India’s support to push its agenda at the G20 Summit.
“India not only stood by Vietnam during its freedom struggle but also during its phase of national reunification. Our common efforts will also contribute to stability, security and prosperity in this region”, Modi told the press, addressing them after the talks concluded.
India and Vietnam have always maintained a warm relationship – going back to the time when Vietnam was engaged in its life-and-death war against the United States in which it ultimately emerged victorious.
“The fundamental reason behind it is the interests of India and Vietnam”.
Ahead of the briefing, Vietnamese and Indian Prime Ministers witnessed the signing of 12 agreements and memorandums of understanding on implementing comprehensive strategic partnership.
Another agreement was signed on sharing of white shipping information while another called for setting up a sustainable IT infrastructure for advanced IT training.
The offer comes after a surge of nearly 700 per cent in Vietnam’s defence procurements as of last year, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute think-tank, which tracks the arms trade over five-year periods.
He said to achieve that “we need to act to eliminate safe havens for economic offenders, track down and unconditionally extradite money launderers and break down the web of complex global regulations and excessive banking secrecy that hide the corrupt and their deeds”.
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The joint statement also stressed on enhancing bilateral economic engagement asked ministries and agencies on both sides to take “practical measures” to achieve the trade target of $15 billion by 2020. Overall, Prime Minister Modi’s short visit to Hanoi will definitely yield dividends for both India and Vietnam in the coming days.
