External Affairs Minister of India, S. Jaishankar is on a two-nation visit to Vietnam and Singapore from October 15-20 to bolster bilateral relations and cooperation in a wide range of areas.
Jaishankar’s visit to Vietnam came at the invitation of his counterpart Bui Thanh Son. The two foreign ministers co-chaired a meeting of the India-Vietnam Joint Commission on economic, trade, scientific and technological cooperation. During the visit, the minister travelled to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City and held talks with the top Vietnamese leadership. He met members of the Indian community and unveiled Mahatma Gandhi’s bust in Ho Chi Minh City.
India and Vietnam have a robust comprehensive strategic partnership, and Vietnam is a key member of India’s Act East Policy, the external affairs ministry said. The union minister’s visit provided an opportunity to review progress in several areas and discussed ways to further enhance bilateral cooperation, it added.
Jaishankar will next travel to Singapore, where he will meet his Singaporean counterpart and the country’s top leadership. He will also chair a regional conference of Indian heads of missions.
In 2015, the relationship between India and Singapore was upgraded to a strategic partnership. This year, numerous ministerial discussions took place between the two countries during the G20 meetings presided over by India. Singapore, as a guest nation, was invited to the G20 gatherings. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong made a trip to New Delhi to attend the G20 Summit in September.
