Modi holds talks with PMs of Australia, Vietnam; focuses on maritime cooperation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday held separate bilateral meetings with his Australian and Vietnamese counterparts with a focus on boosting counter-terror cooperation and forging deeper maritime ties in the Indo-Pacific region.

The talks took place on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit.

On Modi's meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, the external affairs ministry said the two sides reiterated their desire to promote peace, security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and emphasised on the need to maintain a rules-based order that is based on respect for international law.

"This will promote independence of navigation, overflight and rules-based trade in the South China Sea," it said.

The South China Sea witnessed renewed tension after China