External affairs minister S Jaishankar will on Sunday embark on a two-nation visit to Vietnam and Singapore to bolster bilateral relations and cooperation in a wide range of areas.
Jaishankar will travel to Vietnam from October 15-18 at the invitation of his counterpart Bui Thanh Son. The two foreign ministers will co-chair a meeting of the India-Vietnam Joint Commission on economic, trade, scientific and technological cooperation.
During the visit, Jaishankar will travel to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City and is expected to hold talks with the top Vietnamese leadership. He will meet members of the Indian community and unveil Mahatma Gandhi’s bust in Ho Chi Minh City.
India and Vietnam have a robust comprehensive strategic partnership, and Vietnam is a “key member of our Act East Policy”, the external affairs ministry said.
Jaishankar’s visit will provide an opportunity to review progress in several areas and discuss ways to further enhance bilateral cooperation, the ministry said.
Thereafter, Jaishankar will travel to Singapore for an official visit from October 19-20, where he will meet his Singaporean counterpart and the country’s top leadership. He will also chair a regional conference of Indian heads of missions.
India-Singapore ties were elevated to a strategic partnership in 2015. This year, both sides had several ministerial interactions on the sidelines of G20 meetings held under India’s presidency. Singapore was invited to the G20 meetings as a guest country.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong visited New Delhi to participate in the G20 Summit in September.