The agreement was reached at the August 8 meeting between Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and Indian Deputy Foreign Minister Sanjay Singh, who in Vietnam to attend the second strategic dialogue and fifth political consultative meeting between Vietnam and India in Hanoi on August 8-9. 

During the meeting, they also reached a consensus on strengthening cooperation between the two countries’ foreign ministries. 

Minh spoke highly of the traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and India – founded by President Ho Chi Minh and Prime Minister Nehru and fostered by the two countries’ leaders to become a strategic partnership – and the increasingly fine relations, especially in politics. 

Vietnam supported India’s “Look East” policy and wished that India would heighten its role in the region and the world as well, he said. 

Minh also conveyed his invitation to Indian Foreign Minister Krishna to pay an official visit to Vietnam and co-chair the 14th meeting of the Vietnam-India Joint Committee scheduled in mid-September. 

Sanjay Singh presented a message of congratulations from his Foreign Minister to Vietnam’s newly elected Foreign Minister. 

He expressed India’s wish to enhance the strategic partnership with Vietnam in the spirit of fine traditional friendship, mutual trust and understanding.