Vietnam president in India next week, defence ties on agenda
October 6th, 2011 - 7:48 pm ICT by IANS
New Delhi, Oct 6 (IANS) In a visit that will be closely be watched by China, Vietnam’s President Truong Tan Sang will be here next week that would see India building closer military and trade ties with Southeast Asia’s rising economy.
Truong is expected to come here Oct 12. He will hold talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on a wide range of bilateral and regional issues, including the intensification of trade ties, maritime security and enhanced military cooperation.
They will also discuss the forthcoming 18-nation East Asia Summit in Bali in November that will focus on evolving an inclusive regional architecture.
The visit comes weeks after External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna’s visit to Hanoi last month that saw India’s state-owned ONGC Videsh sealing pacts for oil exploration in offshore blocks in the South China Sea.
Beijing, which claims full sovereignty over the entire South China Sea, has objected to the oil deals in the disputed territory. India defended the move, saying its cooperation with Vietnam was in accordance with international laws and underlined the need for freedom of navigation in the South China Sea. India’s assertion struck a chord, bringing it closer to Hanoi which has been wary of Chinese attempts to dominate the region.
The intensification of defence cooperation will be high on the agenda that could deepen strategic dimension to bilateral ties.
New Delhi has already been assisting Hanoi in bolstering its naval and air capabilities. There is already talk about India keen to sell the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, an Indo-Russian joint venture.
Besides closer cooperation in areas like capacity building and training, the two countries are also expected to energise their economic ties. Bilateral trade is estimated to be over $2 billion, which is seen as way below potential.
India and Vietnam signed an agreement in 2003 that envisaged the creation of an “Arc of Advantage and Prosperity” in Southeast Asia. They will also explore expanding investment opportunities in areas like the energy, steel, IT and pharmaceutical sectors.
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Tags: bilateral ties, china vietnam, chinese attempts, cruise missile, defence cooperation, defence ties, east asia summit, economic ties, external affairs minister, manmohan singh, maritime security, military cooperation, offshore blocks, oil deals, ongc videsh, prime minister manmohan, prime minister manmohan singh, regional architecture, south china sea, trade ties