India, Vietnam gives major boost to bilateral ties; ink pacts on three MoUs including Nuclear energy partnership

New Delhi, March 3: Taking a step forward to strengthen bilateral relationships between the two countries, India and Vietnam on Saturday signed three MoUs including Economic and Trade, Nuclear energy partnership and Agriculture.

 

After signing the three MoU, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India and Vietnam will work together for an open and prosperous Indo-pacific region where sovereignty and international law are respected and disputes are resolved through dialogue.

At the Joint Press Meet with Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang, PM Modi said that both countries will work for strengthening Defence, Maritime and energy cooperation. The Prime Minister said that Vietnam has played an important role under Act East policy and bilateral trade between the two nations has grown from six billion dollars to 10 billion dollars despite the global slowdown. “Vietnam President Tran Dai Quang's visit will strengthen bilateral relations between both the countries,” PM Modi added.

Recalling his Vietnam visit in the year 2016, Prime Minister Modi said both the countries are committed to further boost their relationship, which goes back to 2000 years old. PM Modi also noted that India and Vietnam inherited the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi and Ho Chi Min and both fought against colonialism.

While External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said PM Modi and Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang held fruitful talks and discussed steps to further strengthen comprehensive strategic partnership in defence and security, trade and investment, atomic energy, agriculture, science and technology, tourism, oil and gas, as well as regional and global issues.

Earlier, in the day, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj met Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang and discussed ways to strengthen bilateral ties. The Vietnamese President is on a 3-day visit to India, who is also leading an 18-member delegation, including ministers, party leaders, and businessmen.

Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang will also interact with prominent Indian businessmen. He will also meet President Ram Nath Kovind and Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan. In the year 2016, PM Modi visited Vietnam, a year before the two countries celebrated 45 years of honouring diplomatic ties. India and Vietnam signed 12 agreements in a wide range of areas covering IT, space, double taxation and sharing white shipping information. Importantly, India had also extended a USD 500 million Line of Credit to Vietnam for facilitating deeper defence cooperation between the two sides.