Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday held a bilateral meeting with his Vietnamese counterpart Le Minh Hung on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit here and reviewed progress in bilateral cooperation.
The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening the India-Vietnam partnership and exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
“The meeting provided an opportunity for both leaders to review the progress made in bilateral ties, which were elevated to an Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during the State Visit of H.E. Mr To Lam, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam and President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, to India in May 2026,” the MEA said.
PM Modi welcomed Vietnam’s participation in the BRICS Summit as a partner country. Before the meeting, the two leaders warmly greeted each other, and PM Modi also met members of the delegation accompanying Hung.
The MEA said India and Vietnam share a time-tested friendship rooted in shared civilisational heritage, mutual trust and understanding, describing Vietnam as a key pillar of India’s Act East Policy and an important partner in India’s broader engagement with Southeast Asia.
India is hosting the two-day 18th BRICS Summit from Saturday as chair of the grouping in 2026, bringing together leaders of member countries, partner countries and outreach invitees.
India’s BRICS chairship is guided by the theme, “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”, with development, sustainability and innovation among the key focus areas.
BRICS comprises Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates. Its partner countries are Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.
Last month, Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita called on the Vietnamese Prime Minister and thanked him for his guidance in advancing bilateral cooperation and translating high-level commitments into concrete outcomes.
Vietnamese President To Lam visited India in May and held talks with Modi covering defence and security, trade and investment, science and technology, development partnership, maritime cooperation, critical and rare earth minerals, space, renewable energy, atomic energy, culture and people-to-people ties.
During the visit, the two countries agreed to elevate their bilateral relationship to an Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and set a target of expanding bilateral trade to USD 25 billion by 2030. Vietnam also joined the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI).
(IANS Inputs)
