Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (right) meets with Indian Foreign Minister
Sushma Swaraj on August 28. (Photo: VNA)
Phuc made the remarks while receiving Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj, who
is in Hanoi for the 16th Meeting of the Vietnam-India Joint Committee on
Economic, Commercial, Scientific, and Technological Cooperation.
Vietnam treasures the friendship and Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with
India and hopes to deepen bilateral ties in all areas, the PM said, adding that
he highly values the results of the previous meeting between Swaraj and Deputy
Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh.
He asked Swaraj to help maintain the political trust between the two countries
and foster Vietnam-India cooperation in multiple fields, particularly defence
and security – a pillar of bilateral relations, economics, and trade. He hoped
the two sides would go on to discuss ways to reduce trade barriers and that more
large corporations from India will be investing in Vietnam in power, renewable
energy, and oil and gas exploitation.
He also urged the two sides to closely coordinate and back each other at
regional and international forums and, at the same time, expressed his support
for India’s “Act East” policy.
Vietnam hopes India will support ASEAN’s centrality in regional architecture and
speak out for the maintenance of security, safety, freedom of navigation,
aviation and trade, including the settlement of disputes via peaceful means on
the basis of international law, the Vietnamese leader said.
Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj, for her part, said she is impressed with
Vietnam’s socio-economic development in recent years and pleased to see the two
nations’ Comprehensive Strategic Partnership growing, bringing real benefit to
their peoples.
India wants to further intensify its multifaceted partnership with Vietnam with
a special focus on economics, trade, investment, science-technology, security-defence,
and people-to-people exchange, thereby contributing to peace, stability, and
prosperity in the region and across the globe.
Source: VNA