Vietnam PM Pham Minh Chinh paying 3-day visit to India

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh is paying a three-day visit to India to further expand bilateral strategic ties.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said Chinh will pay a state visit to India from July 30 to August 1.India considers Vietnam as a key pillar of its Act East Policy and an important partner in its Indo-Pacific vision, it said.

Chinh is expected to be accompanied by a high-level delegation including several ministers, deputy ministers and business leaders.

On August 1, the visiting leader will receive a ceremonial welcome at the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhavan after which he will visit Rajghat to pay tributes to Mahatma Gandhi.

PM Narendra Modi and Chinh are scheduled to hold bilateral discussions that day.

Chinh is also scheduled to call on President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is expected to call on the visiting prime minister, according to the MEA.

"India and Vietnam have age-old historical and civilizational ties, which were elevated to a comprehensive strategic partnership during the visit of the prime minister to Vietnam in September 2016," it said in a statement.