New Delhi, Apr 30: Vietnamese President To Lam will undertake a three-day visit to India next week to further fortify bilateral ties in areas of defence, trade and critical technologies against the backdrop of increasing geopolitical upheavals and trade disruptions.
Lam, who also serves as General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, will lead a high-level delegation of ministers and top executives during his state visit to India from May 5 to 7. It will be his first state visit to India after being elected as the president this month.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Lam will hold wide-ranging talks that are expected to focus on boosting the overall trajectory of the India-Vietnam comprehensive strategic partnership with a focus on enhancing ties in trade, defence and critical technologies.
The visiting leader will be accorded a ceremonial welcome at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan on May 6, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, announcing the visit.
“Prime Minister Modi will hold wide-ranging discussions with President To Lam across the spectrum of bilateral relations as also on regional and global issues of mutual interest,” it said.
The two leaders are also likely to deliberate on the prevailing situation West Asia, and South China Sea, a region that has witnessed increasing Chinese military muscle-flexing.
There have been growing concerns over China’s sweeping claims of sovereignty over all of the South China Sea, a huge source of hydrocarbons.
Several countries in the region including Vietnam, the Philippines and Brunei, have counterclaims.
India and many other democratic countries have been pressing for peaceful settlement of the disputes and for adherence to international law, especially the UNCLOS (UN Convention on the Law of the Sea).
In the talks, the two sides are set to explore ways to boost defence cooperation, especially in the maritime domain.
Last year, the two sides signed a pact to set up a framework for submarine search, rescue and support mechanism. They also signed a letter of intent (LoI) to strengthen bilateral defence industry collaboration.
The MEA said President Droupadi Murmu will also have a meeting with Lam.
Other Indian dignitaries are also expected to call on him.
The Vietnamese leader will also visit Bodh Gaya and Mumbai.
“President To Lam’s visit coincides with the special occasion of the two countries marking the 10th anniversary of the elevation of relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, agreed during the visit of Prime Minister Modi to Vietnam in 2016,” the MEA said.
“The engagement between leaders is expected to provide fresh momentum to the robust bilateral relations and open new avenues for cooperation between India and Vietnam,” it said. (PTI)
