EAM Jaishankar to embark on 6-day visit to Vietnam, Singapore

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will embark on a six-day visit to Vietnam and Singapore from Sunday to shore up bilateral cooperation in diverse areas.

In the first leg of his visit, Jaishankar will visit Vietnam from October 15 to 18 to discuss ways to review the progress in several areas and discuss ways to further enhance cooperation, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Saturday.

Jaishankar's visit to the strategically-located Southeast Asian country comes less than three months after India gifted missile corvette INS Kirpan to the Vietnamese armed forces, in reflection of the growing bilateral strategic partnership amid common concerns over China's increasingly aggressive behaviour in the South China Sea.

It was for the first time that India handed over a fully-operational corvette to any friendly foreign country.

"India and Vietnam share a robust comprehensive strategic partnership. Vietnam is a key member of our Act East Policy. The external affairs minister's visit will provide an opportunity to review progress in several areas and discuss ways to further enhance bilateral cooperation," the MEA said.

Jaishankar will also co-chair the 18th meeting of the India-Vietnam Joint Commission on economic, trade and scientific, and technological cooperation with his Vietnamese counterpart, Bui Thanh Son.

"The external affairs minister will visit Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City and is expected to hold talks with the Vietnamese leadership," the MEA said in a statement.

He will also meet members of the Indian community and unveil a bust of Mahatma Gandhi in Ho Chi Minh city.

From Vietnam, Jaishankar will travel to Singapore for a visit from October 19 to 20.

"During his visit, the external affairs minister will meet his Singaporean counterpart and the top leadership of the country. He will also chair the regional conference of Indian heads of missions," the MEA said.

The India-Singapore relationship was elevated to a strategic partnership in 2015 and since then, the intensity of the bilateral cooperation has increased significantly.

In 2023, both sides had several ministerial interactions on the sidelines of the G20 Summit held under India's presidency.

Singapore was invited as a guest country to the G20 Summit.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong visited New Delhi to participate in the summit in September.