NEW DELHI: Amid geopolitical turmoil owing to the crisis in Ukraine, COVID-19 disruptions and growing Chinese assertiveness, India and Vietnam on Monday explored new opportunities to cooperate in economic development and national security.
Saurabh Kumar, Secretary East, of the Ministry of External Affairs and Vice Foreign Minister Nguyen Minh Vu of Vietnam co-chaired the 12th round of Political Consultations and the 9th round of Strategic Dialogue between the External Affairs Ministry of India and Vietnam in Hanoi on Monday.
Kumar also extended an in-person invitation to Bui Thanh Son, Foreign Minister of Vietnam to visit India next month (June) for attending two major caucuses: the Special ASEAN-India Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and Delhi Dialogue.
Kumar also expressed India’s commitment to Vietnam for development and capacity-building assistance through initiatives such as Quick Impact Projects, ITEC and e-ITEC initiatives, PhD fellowships, digital connectivity and heritage conservation.
“Both sides exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual interest, especially in the context of the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, as they explored new opportunities for partnership to support each other’s economic development and national security,” the MEA said in a statement.
India and Vietnam, which have several cultural ties and Buddhist linkages, have seen a growth in the strategic ties with China asserting itself militarily in the South China Sea region.
Vietnam, an important country of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), has territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea region. China claims sovereignty over all of the South China Sea, a huge source of hydrocarbons. However, several ASEAN member countries, including Vietnam, the Philippines and Brunei, have resisted Chinese assertiveness.
Incidentally, India has oil exploration projects in the Vietnamese waters in the South China Sea.