External Affairs Minister of India, Dr. S. Jaishankar, met Vietnam’s Prime Minister (PM) Pham Minh Chinh on 31 July 2024. PM Pham Minh Chinh is on a three-day visit to India to expand the bilateral partnership with India further. The visit aims to develop the existing comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries. Dr. Jaishankar appreciated PM Pham Minh Chinh’s guidance to improve India-Vietnam bilateral ties.
Dr. Jaishankar posted on X: “Honoured to call on PM Pham Minh Chinh of Vietnam during his State visit to India. Appreciate his guidance on our bilateral relationship and on regional and global issues of mutual interest. Look forward to his Summit meeting with PM @narendramoditomorrow.”
PM Pham Minh Chinh thanked India for the warm reception. He also thanked Dr. Jaishankar and his Vietnamese counterpart for arranging the visit on such short notice amidst such a tight schedule. He pointed out that such a warm reception is a testament to India’s importance in its relations with Vietnam. Furthermore, he congratulated PM Modi on his win in the latest election for the third time. According to him, PM Modi’s victory is a historic one.
In response, Dr. Jaishankar stated that PM Pham Minh Chinh was one of the earliest visitors to India after the election and that receiving him was a special privilege. Dr. Jaishankar also expressed his heartfelt condolences on the demise of Secretary-General Niren Fu-Chang. He noted that the National Security Advisor had represented India in his funeral. He also expressed PM Modi’s condolences on his demise and iterated that PM Modi would convey it to PM Pham in person.
Dr. Jaishankar stated that PM Pham’s visit has allowed India to review the relations between India and Vietnam. It will help assess the strategic trends in the region. Referring to the much-awaited meeting between PM Modi and PM Pham, Dr. Jaishankar stated that the former is eager to discuss the bilateral ties with the esteemed dignitaries. He noted that during PM Pham Minh Chinh’s visit, there will be ten agreements and three crucial announcements to help develop the diplomatic ties.
The strategic partnership between India and Vietnam has witnessed exponential success in the last few years. In July 2023, India first gifted a fully operational in-service missile corvette, INS Kirpan, to Vietnam, reflecting the growing defence partnership between the two countries. Vietnam is an important member country of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), and India has several important oil exploration projects in Vietnamese waters.
With the arrival of PM Pham Minh Chinh, Shri Randhir Jaiswal, official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, India, stated that India and Vietnam “share civilizational links and a longstanding friendship based on mutual trust. The visit will further strengthen our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.”
Vietnam and India have boosted their maritime and defence cooperation in the recent past to project common interests. The recent visit of PM Pham will surely add to the growing bilateral ties between the two nations.
