India and Vietnam have signed 13 agreements spanning trade, defence, rare minerals and other priority areas, marking a fresh milestone in bilateral ties.
Vietnam President To Lam, who recently assumed office, arrived in India on his first official overseas visit. He met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi to review the relationship and agreed to take it to the next stage of an “enhanced comprehensive partnership.”
Following the talks, the two sides concluded pacts covering trade, defence, rare mineral resources, education, banking and digital payments, pharmaceuticals, culture and related fields. Both countries also reaffirmed their commitment to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific amid developments in the South China Sea.
Prime Minister Modi said Vietnam is a key friend of India and noted that cooperation has expanded steadily over the past decade. He added that the new framework would deepen collaboration across culture, people-to-people links, defence and supply chains.
Modi also said the two countries aim to double mutual trade and set a target of raising it to Rs 2.80 lakh crore by 2030. He said a memorandum on pharmaceutical sales would make Indian medicines more accessible in Vietnam, while Indian agricultural and fishery products would find easier export routes, including grapes and pomegranates in the near future.
