Article Posted on : - Aug 05, 2024

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh during a joint press statement after their meeting, at the Hyderabad House, in New Delhi, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024. A PTI Photo

NEW DELHI (PTI): India and Vietnam have adopted an action plan to expand their strategic partnership, agreed to boost defence ties and vowed to redouble efforts to ensure peace and security in South China in the face of Beijing's increasing military muscle-flexing.

The situation in South China Sea and overall Indo-Pacific figured prominently in wide-ranging talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh with the former asserting that New Delhi supports development and "not expansionism", in remarks seen as a thinly veiled reference to China's expansionist behaviour.

In the talks held last Thursday, it was also decided that India will provide USD 300 million credit line to Vietnam primarily to strengthen the Southeast Asian nation's maritime security.

In his media statement, Chinh said both sides agreed to share information and redouble efforts to transform the South China Sea into waters of peace, stability and friendship. He said both sides would establish a deputy foreign ministerial-level economic diplomacy dialogue.

The two sides finalised a total of nine pacts and documents including a 'Plan of Action' for the implementation of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during the 2024-2028 period.

Chinh said both sides agreed to double bilateral trade and investment over the next three to five years and batted for a more "concrete and effective" trade and investment cooperation.

Later at a think-tank, the Vietnamese prime minister, who arrived in Delhi last Tuesday, pitched for a forward-looking trade pact between the two sides to expand economic engagement. The current India-Vietnam trade volume stands at around USD 15 billion.

"In our Act East policy and our Indo-Pacific vision, Vietnam is our important partner... We support development, not expansionism (Hum vistarbad nahi, vikasvad ka samarthan karte hei)," Modi said in Hindi in his media statement.

"We will continue our cooperation for a free, open, rules-based and prosperous Indo-Pacific," he said.

PM Modi said that both sides decided that cooperation will be strengthened to deal with terrorism and cyber security issues.

"We believe that 'Developed India 2047' and Vietnam's 'Vision 2045' have accelerated development in both countries. This is opening up many new areas of mutual cooperation," Modi said.

"And therefore, to further strengthen our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, today we have adopted a new plan of action," he said.

In his remarks, Chinh described Indo-Pacific as a "locomotive" for growth for the world but noted that it is also a region where major power politics are taking place fiercely.

The two sides would redouble efforts to ensure peace, stability, security and freedom of navigation and overflight in the East China Sea and South China Sea and the peaceful settlement of disputes based on respecting international law, especially UNCLOS (UN Convention on the Law of the Sea) 1982, he said.

"We agreed to share information and work together to make South China Sea into the waters of peace, stability, friendship and cooperation, where safety, security and freedom of navigation and overflight is upheld," he said.

A joint statement said Modi and Chinh reaffirmed the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security and freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea, while pursuing the peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with UNCLOS, without resorting to threat or use of force.

There have been growing global concerns over China's sweeping claims of sovereignty over all of the South China Sea, a huge source of hydrocarbons.

Several countries in the region including Vietnam, the Philippines and Brunei, have counterclaims.

"Both leaders underscored the importance of non-militarisation and self-restraint in the conduct of all activities by claimants and all other states, and avoidance of actions that could further complicate the situation," the joint statement said.

It said Modi and Chinh emphasised that UNCLOS is the basis for determining maritime entitlements, sovereign rights, jurisdiction and legitimate interests over maritime zones.

"Both leaders further called for the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) in its entirety and the substantive negotiations towards the early conclusion of a substantive and effective Code of Conduct in the South China Sea in accordance with international law," it said.

The two prime ministers also unequivocally condemned terrorism in all forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism.

In his comments, Modi said new steps have been taken for cooperation in the field of defence and security.

The two prime ministers also remotely inaugurated an Army Software Park built in 'Naya Chang' with New Delhi's development assistance.

"The agreed USD 300 million credit line will strengthen Vietnam's maritime security," Modi said.

"We agree that, to realise the mutual trade potential, the review of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement should be concluded as early as possible," he said.

Vietnam is a key member of 10-nation ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations).

"We have decided to focus on the areas of green economy and new emerging technologies. Each other's capabilities in energy and port development will be harnessed for mutual benefit," Modi said.

The prime minister also invited people from Vietnam to the Buddhist circuit in India. "And we want the youth of Vietnam to also take advantage of Nalanda University."

In his remarks, Modi said India-Vietnam relations have both "expanded and deepened" over the past decade.

"In the last 10 years, we have transformed our relations into a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Our bilateral trade has increased by more than 85 per cent," he said.

"Mutual cooperation has expanded in energy, technology, and development partnership. Mutual cooperation in defence and security areas has gained new momentum," he said.

"Over the past decade, connectivity has increased. And today we have more than 50 direct flights between us. Along with this, tourism is continuously increasing, and people have also been given the facility of e-visa," Modi said.

In the talks, the two leaders encouraged greater exchange of Buddhist scholars, monks, and pilgrims.

Vietnam appreciated India's commitment for the restoration and conservation of My Son UNESCO World Heritage Site and the work done by Archaeological Survey of India in the A, H and K Blocks as well as the forthcoming project in the F Block.