VISIT OF INDIAN NAVAL SHIPS TO CAM RANH, VIETNAM
Indian Naval Ships, INS KOLKATA and INS SHAKTI, under the command of Captain Aditya Hara, Commanding Officer INS Kolkata, will be making a port call at Cam Ranh International Port from 13 to 16 April, 2019. The ship visits are part of the ongoing operational deployment of the Indian Navy in the South East Asia region.
2. During the visit, there will be professional interaction between personnel of Indian Navy and Vietnam People’s Navy. Official calls and interaction with dignitaries of the Vietnamese Government as well as guided tours and sports events for the visiting Indian Navy personnel have been planned. A visit to the Indian Ships will also be organized for friends of India in Khanh Hoa Province. Following the completion of harbour phase of activities, both Indian Navy and Vietnam Peoples’ Navy would conduct joint exercises.
3. India-Vietnam relations have grown stronger in recent years due to a vibrant economic engagement and growing convergence on political, regional and security issues. In 2016, during the official visit of Prime Minister of India Mr Narendra Modi to Vietnam, the relations between the two countries were elevated to the level of ‘Comprehensive Strategic Partnership’. Prime Minister of Vietnam, Mr Nguyen Xuan Phuc visited India in January 2018 as a Guest of Honour at the Republic Day Parade 2018 and to take part in the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit. This was followed by a State Visit by the then President of Vietnam, Mr Tran Dai Quang to India in March 2018. The President of India, Mr Ram Nath Kovind paid a State Visit to Vietnam in November 2018. These high-level visits followed by regular exchanges from defence services have added momentum into ongoing bilateral defence and security cooperation.
4. Bilateral defence cooperation is a vital component of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between India and Vietnam. The Indian Navy has extensive interactions with Vietnam People’s Navy, particularly in the field of training, repairs, maintenance and logistics support aimed at capacity building. Earlier this month, in a series of ships’ port calls between two countries, an Indian Coast Guard ship ICGS VIJIT paid a port call to Danang from 01 to 04 Apr 2019.
5. There is growing convergence between India and Vietnam on various regional and international issues. Both countries are committed to building of a peaceful and prosperous Asia and the Indo-Pacific region on the basis of respect for national sovereignty and international law as well as freedom of navigation, overflight and unimpeded economic activities. The current visit seeks to enhance bilateral maritime cooperation and will further bolster the strong bonds of friendship between the two countries and contribute to security and stability in the region and the world at large.
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