Vietnam important pillar of India's Act East policy: President Murmu

New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu on Monday said Vietnam is an important pillar of India's Act East policy and a key partner of the country's Indo-Pacific Vision.

Welcoming Vietnamese Defence Minister General Phan Van Giang, who called on Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here, she said the two countries share a rich history of civilisational and cultural linkages spanning over 2,000 years.

The president said Vietnam is an important pillar of India's Act East policy and a "key partner of our Indo-Pacific Vision", according to a Rashtrapati Bhavan statement.

Murmu said the India-Vietnam 'Comprehensive Strategic Partnership' has widened the range of bilateral collaboration including in defence and security cooperation, trade and investment relations, energy security, development cooperation, cultural and people-to-people relations.

She said bilateral defence cooperation is one of the strongest elements of the partnership.

The president said she was happy to note that India-Vietnam defence engagement spans a wide spectrum, including capacity building, industry cooperation, Peacekeeping, and joint exercises.