Vietnamese President To Lam to visit India from May 5-7

New Delhi, April 30 (IANS) Vietnamese President To Lam will visit India on May 5 for a State visit at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Thursday.

To Lam, also the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, will be in India till May 7. This is his first visit to India after being elected as the President of Vietnam earlier this month.

"He will be accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising several Ministers and senior officials of the Government of Vietnam. A strong business delegation will also accompany the visiting dignitary," the MEA said.

During his visit, President To Lam will be accorded a ceremonial welcome at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhawan on May 6.

Following this, Prime Minister Modi will hold wide-ranging discussions with President To Lam across the spectrum of bilateral relations, along with regional and global issues of mutual interest.

President Droupadi Murmu will also hold a meeting with the visiting leader.

Other leaders are also expected to call on President To Lam.

According to the MEA, the Vietnamese President will also visit Bodh Gaya and Mumbai during his visit.

The Ministry further stated that the engagements between leaders will provide "fresh momentum to the robust bilateral relations" and open new avenues for cooperation between India and Vietnam.

Earlier, on April 7, PM Modi congratulated To Lam on his election as Vietnam's President and expressed readiness to work with him further to deepen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two nations.

He expressed confidence that the time-tested friendship between the two nations will continue to grow under To Lam's leadership.

"Heartiest congratulations to Mr To Lam on his election as President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. I am confident that under his leadership, the time-tested friendship between our two countries will continue to grow from strength to strength. I look forward to working closely together to further deepen our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for the progress and prosperity of our people and the region," PM Modi had posted on X.

"India and Vietnam share historical and civilisational ties, which have steadily deepened over the years. President To Lam's visit coincides with the special occasion of the two countries marking the 10th anniversary of the elevation of relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, agreed during the visit of Prime Minister Modi to Vietnam in 2016," the MEA said.