NSA Doval attends state funeral of Nguyen Phu Trong in Hanoi, holds talks on strengthening India-Vietnam strategic ties

Hanoi: National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval attended the state funeral of Nguyen Phu Trong, the General Secretary of Communist Party of Vietnam who passed away on July 19, in Hanoi on Thursday.

NSA Doval conveyed India's condolences personally to the Vietnamese President To Lam, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and the bereaved family.

During their meeting on Wednesday, Vietnam's PM Pham Minh Chinh expressed his "sincere thanks" to the government and people of India for their kind gesture towards late General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong by sending high-ranking officials to attend the state funeral and also the Indian Parliament for taking time to commemorate the General Secretary on July 22.

"This demonstrates the affection of close friends, as well as the precious tradition between the two peoples of Vietnam and India," Vietnam's PMO said in a statement after the meeting with NSA Doval.

"Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh suggested that the two countries continue to coordinate to further develop the Vietnam-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and emphasised that cooperation in the fields of science and technology, information and telecommunications, and digital technology are very potential areas that need further attention and promotion," it added.

Recognising late General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's "important contributions" to strengthening the Vietnam-India relationship, NSA Doval emphasised that he was an erudite leader and widely respected by people of India.

He also affirmed that the Indian government attaches importance to the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Vietnam and India, and wishes to further deepen the bilateral relationship, especially in traditional areas such as defence and security, trade and investment, as well as expand cooperation in new areas as proposed by Hanoi.

India-Vietnam relations have been on the upswing since the establishment of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Hanoi in 2016.

PM Modi has maintained Vietnam's importance as an important pillar of India's 'Act East' policy and the Indo-Pacific vision, while seeking to enhance the scope of the bilateral relationship - including defence partnership - besides working for expeditious progress on existing initiatives.

In his interactions with the late Vietnamese leader over the years, PM Modi has also highlighted the historical and civilization links between the two countries and India's involvement in restoration of Cham monuments in Vietnam.

"Saddened by the news of the passing away of the Vietnamese leader, General Secretary H.E. Nguyen Phu Trong. We pay our respects to the departed leader. Extend our deepest condolences and stand in solidarity with the people and leadership of Vietnam in this hour of grief," PM Modi had posted on X on July 19.