Prime Minister hosts Indian defence minister

Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has urged the Vietnamese and Indian defence ministries to step up their cooperation in traditional areas while expanding the affiliation in new spheres, especially training young officers.

At a reception for Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrika in Hanoi on June 6, the Government leader hailed the fruitful bilateral defence ties, which have been evidenced through regular exchanges of all-level delegations, and by their partnerships in the national defence industry and personnel training – gearing towards the establishment of a ministerial-level dialogue mechanism.

Applauding the outcomes of the talks between Minister Manohar Parrika and his Vietnamese counterpart Ngo Xuan Lich, the host noted his hope that the Indian minister’s visit will contribute to the time-honoured relationship between the two countries as well as the affiliation between their armed forces.

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc highly appreciated Manohar Parrika’s speech delivered at the recent Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore and affirmed the Vietnamese Government’s backing of Indian’s Look East policy.

He highlighted the strategic partnership between Vietnam and India which has thrived across many fields, including national defence.

Vietnam and India share similarities in culture and history, he said, adding that the two countries also hold diverse potential for cooperation in politics, economy, culture and national defence.

The PM asked the minister to convey his invitation to Indian PM Narendra Modi to pay an official visit to Vietnam.

For his part, Manohar Parrika said the Indian Government always treasures and wishes to boost all-round cooperation with Vietnam.

The guest displayed his belief that the friendship and collaboration between the two countries and the defence ties in particular will grow stronger in the time ahead, for peace and prosperity in the region and the world at large.-VNA