Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnamese and Indian
foreign ministers have agreed to closely coordinate in order to effectively promote the action programme implementing the comprehensive strategic
partnership between the two countries for 2021-2023.
The consensus was reached during phone talks between
Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son and his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam
Jaishankar on April 16.
Jaishankar congratulated Son on his appointment as
Vietnam’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, and praised achievements the country has
recorded over the past time, especially in external affairs, notably its ASEAN
Chairmanship 2020.
The ministers rejoiced at the steps of development of
the Vietnam-India comprehensive strategic partnership, and concurred to maintain
the existing cooperation mechanisms.
Vietnam and India will work to strengthen
collaboration in national defence and security, and raise the two-way trade to
15 billion USD, they said.
Minister Son appreciated India’s support for Vietnam’s
sustainable development goals through quick impact projects (QIPs).
Vietnam backs India’s “Act East Policy”, he said,
suggesting the two countries step up cooperation and support each other at
multilateral forums, especially in 2021 when both countries serves as
non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
Son welcomed India’s consistent
stance on the East Sea and spoke highly of India's role at regional and international forums, particularly the within the framework of the ASEAN-India
partnership and the UN./.
VNA