During the talks both sides agreed to continue maintaining the exchange of visits at all levels and deploying efficiently signed cooperation documents. They said defense-security cooperation is continuously efficient and practical and will work to achieve the goal of 15 billion USD trade value. They pointed to the need to step up investment promotion activities, especially in information technology, energy, renewable energy, infrastructure, hi-tech agriculture, innovation, and oil and gas production, reaching consensus on the early launch of direct air routes linking the two countries’ big cities. They sought to speed up cooperation in training and science-technology.

Both sides asserted that the Vietnam and India will continue working closely and supporting each other at regional and global multilateral forums, especially at the United Nations, as well as their run for a non-permanent member seat at the United Nations Security Council, for Vietnam in the 2020-2021 tenure and for India in the 2021-2022 tenure.

After the talks, the Vice Presidents co-chaired the press conference. Ms. Thinh said Vietnam applauds India’s provision of scholarships for Vietnamese students and cadres as well as India’s support for Vietnam’s development projects. She added both sides will soon hold a meeting of the joint working group on agricultural and seafood cooperation. Ms Thinh said: “Bilateral ties have grown steadily with two-way trade reaching 10 billion USD in 2018. We agreed to achieve the goal of 15 billion USD of bilateral trade value in the near future. We welcome Vietnam Oil and Gas Group and India National Oil and Gas Company for working together in exploring and developing oil and gas in Vietnam. We also agreed to create favorable conditions for airlines of the two countries to operate direct flights.”

Indian Vice President Naidu said the two countries agreed to boost bilateral cooperation in defense-security, use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, science-technology, oil and gas, renewable energy, infrastructure development, agriculture, and innovation. He said: “Today we discussed and stressed the importance of building a peaceful, prosperous Indo-Pacific region on the basis of respect of national sovereignty and international law. We hope that the concerned countries are able to reach consensus on a code of conduct in the South China Sea (East Sea). We are both fully committed to an open, transparent, inclusive, and rule-based regional architecture based on freedom of navigation and all flights, unimpeded economic activities and peaceful settlement of dispute in accordance with international law.”