Two Indian naval ships to make port call in Vietnam

Press Trust of India  |  Hanoi 

Two Indian naval will be making a port call at from April 13 to 16 as part of an ongoing operational deployment in the Southeast Asian region.

During the visit, there will be professional interaction between personnel of the and People's Navy.

calls and interaction with dignitaries of the as well as guided tours and sports events for the visiting personnel have also been planned, the statement said.

A visit to the Indian will also be organised for friends of in province.

Following the completion of harbour phase of activities, both the navies would conduct joint exercises.

India-relations have grown stronger in recent years due to a vibrant economic engagement and growing convergence on political, regional and security issues.

In 2016, during the visit of to Vietnam, the relations between the two countries were elevated to the level of 'Comprehensive Strategic Partnership'.

Vietnamese Prime Ministerr Nguyen Xuan Phuc visited in January 2018 as a guest at the Republic Day Parade and took part in the ASEAN-Commemorative Summit.

This was followed by a State Visit by the then of Vietnam, Tran Dai Quang, to India in March 2018. paid a State Visit to Vietnam in November 2018.

"These high-level visits followed by regular exchanges from have added momentum into ongoing bilateral defence and security cooperation," the embassy said.

Bilateral defence cooperation is a vital component of the 'Comprehensive Strategic Partnership' between India and Vietnam.

The has extensive interactions with Vietnam People's Navy, particularly in the field of training, repairs, maintenance and logistics support aimed at capacity building.

Earlier this month, in a series of ships' port calls between two countries, an ship ICGS VIJIT paid a port call to Danang from April 1 to 4.

"There is growing convergence between India and Vietnam on various regional and international issues. Both countries are committed to building a peaceful and prosperous and the Indo-Pacific region on the basis of respect for national sovereignty and international law as well as freedom of navigation, overflight and unimpeded economic activities.

"The current visit seeks to enhance bilateral maritime cooperation and will further bolster the strong bonds of friendship between the two countries and contribute to security and stability in the region and the world at large," the statement added.

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First Published: Fri, April 12 2019. 14:50 IST