India, Vietnam emphasise freedom of navigation in South China Sea

Amid increasing Chinese assertiveness in the region, India and Vietnam have underlined the importance of freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea, while calling for peaceful settlement of disputes without threat or use of force.

Prime Minister Modi and President Tran had a convergence of views on various bilateral and international issues, including the regional security situation in Asia, a joint statement said.

After delegation-level talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang yesterday, the two countries also resolved to deepen cooperation in the field of defence and security.

The Vietnamese side reiterated its consistent support for India's permanent membership to United Nations Security Council (UNSC), a joint statement said.

The two sides had also inked pacts for cooperation in the field of nuclear energy, trade and investment, and agriculture following Modi-Tran talks.

India and Vietnam also agreed to further cooperate in maintaining peace, stability and development in the Indo-Pacific region as well as in the world at large.

"They also reiterated the importance of, and the need for complete compliance with international law, notably the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 (UNCLOS), including the implementation of international legal obligations," the statement said.

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