PM Narendra Modi warmly welcomed General Ngo Xuan Lich and the Vietnamese high-ranking military delegation to India on an official visit at the invitation of the Indian Minister of Defense Manohar Parrikar. The PM spoke highly of the visit, considering it a positive step that contributes to promoting the relations between India and Vietnam in general and the defense relations in particular.
Indian PM Narendra Modi (R) and Vietnamese Defense Minister, General Ngo Xuan Lich
The Indian PM expressed his delight at the recent developments in the bilateral relations between Vietnam and India, especially the defense cooperation results. He affirmed that India is always side by side with Vietnam in difficult periods and attaches importance to maintaining and continuously enhancing the friendship and multifaceted cooperation with Vietnam.
General Ngo Xuan Lich thanked the Indian PM for receiving the Vietnamese delegation and expressed his pleasure at the vigorous developments that India has made recently, making the country a major power which plays an important role in the region and the world. He strongly believes that India will continue to gain greater achievements in making the country a prosperous one. Minister Ngo Xuan Lich thanked the Indian Government and people for their valuable assistance and support to Vietnam, materially and spiritually, during the resistance wars for national independence and reunification in the past and in the present renewal cause. The minister also informed PM Narendra Modi about the defense cooperation results of the two countries and thanked the Indian Government and the PM for supporting and facilitating the defense ministries of the two countries to cooperate effectively.
Defense Minister Ngo Xuan Lich welcomed at the Indian Information Management and Analysis Center under the Indian Navy Command
Minister Ngo Xuan Lich reiterated that Vietnam and India have a long-lasting traditional and flourishing friendship that has been established and nurtured by PM Jawaharlal Nehru, President Ho Chi Minh, and generations of leaders and people of the two countries. The Vietnamese people and the Vietnam People’s Army treasure and try their best to maintain and promote this close relation.
PM Narendra Modi said that India is a reliable and close friend of Vietnam so that, in its “Act East” policy, India defines Vietnam as one of the first priority countries. India will continue to promote the relations with Vietnam in five key fields, including the defense one, corresponding to the potentials of the two countries and making the Vietnam-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership become deeper, more pragmatic and effective.
During his official visit to India, Minister Ngo Xuan Lich met with Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Jumar Doval.
On December 6 morning, Minister Ngo Xuan Lich and his entourage visited and worked with the Indian Information Management and Analysis Center under the Indian Navy Command. They also visited the Indian Air Force Command where they were briefed about flight safety and aircraft relevant contents. The information is useful to modernize the Vietnamese Air Force and Air Defense.
The same day’s afternoon, within the framework of the official friendship visit to India, there were bilateral meetings among services and agencies of the two countries including the meeting between leaders of the Vietnamese General Department of Defense Industry, the military-run telecommunication group (Viettel) and the Indian Defense Research and Development Agency; leaders of the Vietnam Border Guard Command and the Indian L&T company.
Reported by Tran Tuan
Translated by Ngoc Hung