India, Vietnam hold naval exercise

Navies of India and Vietnam held a four-day maritime exercise off Cam Ranh Bay in Vietnam from April 13 with an aim to boost operational cooperation.

Indian Navy's war ships Kolkata and Shakti participated in the annual exercise, comprising a harbour and a sea phase, the Indian Navy said.

"The exercise was undertaken as a part of the ongoing overseas deployment of eastern fleet ships to South East Asian countries," it said.

India and Vietnam share a robust defence cooperation, especially in the area of maritime security.

"Conduct of the bilateral exercise on an annual basis would give a further fillip to the existing strong bilateral relation between the two countries," the Navy said.

Enhancing military ties was also a key element of talks during the visit of Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang to India in March last year.

In 2016, during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Vietnam, the relations between the two countries were elevated to the level of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.