New Delhi, April 15 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi and General Secretary of the Comm st Party of Vietnam, Nguyen Phu Trong on Friday agreed to “enhance defence partnership” and exchanged views on the “ongoing crisis in Ukraine and the situation in South China Sea”. The PMO informed that the two leaders had a phone call on Friday. Vietnam has begun to assert itself against the Chinese dominance in the South China Sea. “The leaders agreed to enhance defence partnership between the two countries. They also exchanged views on regional and global issues of shared interest, including the ongoing crisis in Ukraine and the situation in South China Sea,” the PMO said. The two leaders complimented each other on the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Vietnam, being celebrated this year. “They expressed satisfaction over the rapid pace of wide-ranging cooperation under the India-Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which was established during the Prime Minister’s visit to Vietnam in 2016,” added the PMO. The Prime Minister reiterated Vietnam’s importance as an “important pillar of India’s Act East Policy and Indo-Pacific Vision” and sought to enhance the scope of the bilateral relationship, besides working for expeditious progress on existing initiatives. The Prime Minister also requested for greater facilitation of market access for India’s pharma and agri-products in Vietnam. “The Prime Minister highlighted the historical and civilisation links between the two countries and expressed his happiness in India’s involvement in restoration of Cham monuments in Vietnam,” said the PMO. ASU RJ
