Both the leaders expressed great optimism for the future of India Vietnam ties. Bilateral efforts which began as an effort to tap into Vietnam’s economy have now expanded into defence and strategy.
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In an address to the media, Mr Modi said the credit was for “facilitating mutual defence cooperation” and that the relationship between the two countries would “contribute to stability, securities and prosperity in this region”.
“It will provide a new direction, momentum and substance to our bilateral cooperation”.
“They applauded the decision to upgrade the relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership”, the sources said.
India and Vietnam on Saturday called for a reform of the United Nations and an expansion of the Security Council in both the permanent and non-permanent categories of membership, with enhanced representation from developing countries.
“For Vietnam, with or without China, cooperating with an emerging power like India is beyond doubt of great value”.
“12 for togetherness! India & Vietnam sign a dozen agreements for further strengthening the Strategic Partnership”, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted.
India will also offer a $5 million support package to help Vietnam build a software park in the south-central city of Nha Trang, the visiting leader added. Swarup took to Twitter, and said, “A renewed warmth with Vietnam”.
A recalcitrant Beijing has thus far refused to accept the July judgment by an global arbitration tribunal in Hague, which ruled that China has no claim to economic rights across large swathes of the South China Sea. “So this is something that both sides are very well aware”, he said.
PM Modi also pointed out the need for a stable global economic and financial system. India is keen to sell the missile to Vietnam and four other countries, according to a government note seen by Reuters in June.
Several significant agreements in various fields, especially security and defense, were also inked by the two parties, including a deal on non-military information exchange between the two navies and an MOU on the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes.
Vietnam has already been chosen as the location for establishing an ISRO satellite tracking centre, however the project is under the aegis of the ASEAN-India initiative and not a bilateral arrangement.
India and Vietnam also signed an agreement on celebrating 2017 as “The Year Of Friendship”.
His warning on Sunday followed bilateral talks with Barack Obama that the U.S. president described as “extremely productive”, but which failed to bring the two sides closer on thorny topics such as tensions in the South China Sea.
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For boosting bilateral commercial ties, he said that new trade and business opportunities would be tapped to achieve the trade target of $15 billion by 2020. He sought further support from India in investment, education, training and science and technology. The range of agreements signed just a while ago point to the diversity and depth of our cooperation.
