The visit is expected to contribute to deepening cooperation, mutual understanding, and trust between the armed forces of the two countries, particularly in the maritime sector.
On the same day, Standing Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Duong Ngoc Hai had a working session with Colonel C. Praveen Thomas, who commanded INS Darshak, along with the ship's crew members during their friendly visit and working trip to Ho Chi Minh City.
Speaking at the reception, Standing Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Duong Ngoc Hai expressed his pleasure at the visit of the Indian Navy's ship, affirming that this meaningful activity contributes to further deepening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Vietnam and India, a traditional friendship founded by President Ho Chi Minh and Leader Mahatma Gandhi and nurtured through different generations.
The Standing Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee indicated that the defense cooperation between the two countries has developed positively in recent times, particularly through the implementation of the Joint Vision Statement on the Vietnam-India Defense Partnership toward 2030.
In addition, the relationship between Ho Chi Minh City and India has also been continuously strengthened, as reflected in cultural exchange activities, economic investment and educational cooperation.
India now has 206 investment projects in Ho Chi Minh City with a total investment capital of over US$98 million, ranking 25th out of 117 countries and territories investing in the city.
Bilateral trade turnover between the two countries reaches nearly US$2 billion per year. Notably, in 2023, Ho Chi Minh City and the Consulate General of India jointly inaugurated a statue of Mahatma Gandhi at Tao Dan Park, which is a symbol of the friendship between the two nations.
Colonel C. Praveen Thomas hoped that this visit would open up many practical cooperation opportunities between the navies of the two countries, as well as contribute to strengthening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Vietnam and India in the coming time.
During the four-day visit, officers and crew members of INS Darshak will participate in professional exchange activities with the Vietnamese naval forces and relevant authorities in Ho Chi Minh City. Particularly, they will lay a wreath at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum; pay a courtesy visit to the leaders of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, Military Region 7 and Naval Region 2; meet with the officers and soldiers of Naval Region 2, as well as visit local cultural sites.
This is part of the efforts to expand defense cooperation between the two countries. Prior to INS Darshak, several Indian Navy ships such as INS Sahyadri, INS Kadmatt and INS Kiltan also visited Ho Chi Minh City, creating a positive mark on the traditional friendship between the two nations.
