New Delhi: External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar and his Vietnamese counterpart Le Hoai Trung on Monday discussed strengthening political, defence and security cooperation, including increasing the supply of Made-in-India defence articles.
The talks to strengthen bilateral cooperation across key areas took place as both ministers co-chaired the 19th India-Vietnam Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) in New Delhi.
Describing the meeting as “productive and outcome-oriented”, EAM said that the talks focused on strengthening political, defence and security cooperation, increasing the supply of Made-in-India defence articles, and advancing cooperation in trade, investment, supply chains, energy, pharmaceuticals, agriculture and cultural projects.
“Strengthened India-Vietnam political, defence and security cooperation. Increased supply of Made-in-India defence articles. Enabled a constructive discussion on trade, investment and supply chains. Expanded market access of our marine, agricultural products and pharmaceuticals. Discussed deepening energy cooperation. Promoted heritage conservation and cultural projects,” EAM Jaishankar posted on X following the meeting.
“Vietnam is a key partner of our Look East, ASEAN, Indo-Pacific, MAHASAGAR and Global South policies,” he added.
In his opening remarks at the meeting, EAM Jaishankar described Vietnam as a significant partner in advancing India’s regional engagement, particularly under the Act East policy, the MAHASAGAR vision and wider Indo-Pacific vision.
He also stressed the importance of Vietnam under the framework of India’s Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with ASEAN.
Extending a warm welcome to the visiting delegation to the 19th session of the India-Vietnam JCM on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technological Cooperation, EAM said, “This 19th JCM, therefore, offers us a very valuable opportunity to review the implementation of the commitments which have been made, and to translate the political momentum at the highest level into concrete, tangible outcomes for our people.”
During the meeting, the Vietnamese Foreign Minister congratulated India on the successful outcome of the 18th BRICS Summit held in New Delhi, saying the meeting had demonstrated the grouping’s growing potential to contribute to shared objectives of the international community.
“Thanks to the role and efforts of India, the summit has come to such a successful outcome, especially with a very substantive declaration, which is, we think, very important, very pertinent at this juncture of international development, especially as it has reaffirmed important principles of international law about the important orientations for peace, security, and development. And also we think that the discussions were substantive and many important initiatives were put forward,” Trung noted.
On Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his Vietnamese counterpart Lee Minh Hung in New Delhi and discussed deepening defence and security cooperation.
As the two leaders held a meeting on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, PM Modi said that Vietnam will remain a “key pillar” of India’s Act East Policy and MAHASAGAR vision.
(IANS)
