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Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, who is on a three-day state visit to India, was accorded a ceremonial reception at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Thursday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi received his Vietnam counterpart at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. The two leaders shared a warm hug as they greeted each other. He then inspected a Guard of Honour by the combined defence services. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel, and Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal were present on the occasion. PM Modi and Pham Minh Chinh met officials from the delegations of the two nations. On Wednesday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called on Vietnam Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, who arrived in India, on Tuesday. During the meeting, the Vietnamese PM expressed gratitude and thanked India for the warm reception. "I want to thank you for your time, seeing me this afternoon. I want to thank you for your efforts in arranging my visit to India with such short notice and a very tight schedule. I would like to thank the two foreign ministries for making the best preparations for this visit," Pham Minh Chinh said. Further, Chinh also congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his win in the third consecutive term and termed this a 'historic victory.' "I would like to thank India for the warm reception accorded to me during my stay in India. It is a vivid testament to the importance that India places on its relations with Vietnam. I would like to congratulate Prime Minister Modi's re-election for the third consecutive term. This is a historic victory." Chinh said. In response, Jaishankar expressed pleasure and stated that Chinh is one of the earliest visitors after the elections and that the government has taken over in its third term, adding, "It's a very special privilege to receive him." Further, Jaishankar conveyed his condolences for the death of Secretary General Niren Fu-Chang. "I would, Excellency, also take the opportunity to convey my condolences on the loss of the Secretary-General, General Secretary, and Excellency Niren Fu-Chang. We were represented on the occasion of his funeral by the National Security Advisor. The prime minister himself expressed his deep sorrow. We will convey that to you in person," said Jaishankar. "Senior members of the cabinet, as well as the head of our party, have signed the condolence book, underscoring how close our relations are," Jaishanakar added. Highlighting India-Vietnam relations, Jaishankar expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to review bilateral relations and discuss strategic trends in the region. "Your visit allows us to review our bilateral relations, and also to assess the strategic trends in our region. I know the Prime Minister looks forward very much to his discussions regarding both subjects with you. And I would today, of course," said Jaishankar "And again, I assure you that we have prepared very, very well for this visit. There will be, I think, 10 agreements, and three announcements, and we will be taking steps that will certainly set the course for the further development of our relations," he added. The Union Minister of State for External Affairs, Pabitra Margherita, welcomed the Vietnamese PM at the airport on Tuesday. In a post on X, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal said the visit of the Vietnamese PM will further strengthen the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two nations. "Warm welcome to PM Pham Minh Chinh of Vietnam as he arrives in New Delhi on a state visit. Received by MoS @PmargheritaBJP at the airport. India & Vietnam share civilizational links and a longstanding friendship based on mutual trust. The visit will further strengthen our comprehensive strategic partnership," Jaiswal posted on X. In a earlier press release, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated, "India and Vietnam have age-old historical and civilizational ties, which were elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during the visit of Prime Minister to Vietnam in September 2016. India considers Vietnam as a key pillar of its Act East Policy and an important partner in its Indo-Pacific vision." (ANI)
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