Foreign Minister receives Indian Ambassador

Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung received Indian Ambassador to Vietnam Tshering Sherpa in Hanoi on July 15.

Trung once again expressed his profound condolences over the speedboat accident that occurred in the waters off An Giang province on July 11, conveying his sympathies to the Government and people of India, especially the victims' families.

He said Vietnam's leaders have paid close attention to the accident, sending messages of condolence to their Indian counterparts and directing relevant agencies to work closely with India in search and rescue efforts, treatment of the injured, support for victims' relatives, and the repatriation of the deceased.

The minister highly valued the effective coordination of India's diplomatic missions in Vietnam during the handling of the incident. He added that Vietnamese authorities are expediting investigations into the cause of the incident and will strictly address any violations while strengthening safety regulations to prevent similar incidents.

Sherpa thanked leaders of the Party, State and Government of Vietnam, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, authorities of An Giang province and relevant Vietnamese agencies for their timely support and assistance from the outset. Thanks to the close and effective cooperation of Vietnamese authorities, all victims' bodies had been repatriated for funeral arrangements in accordance with Indian customs, while the injured have received proper medical care and are recovering, he said.

The ambassador also expressed his deep appreciation for the sympathies shown by the Vietnamese people, saying their condolences, words of encouragement and sincere support had provided strength to the Indian Government, people and the victims' families during this difficult time.

Trung stressed that the close friendship between the two peoples is a valuable asset and a solid foundation for the continued development of the Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Vietnam and India.

He thanked the Indian Embassy for its close coordination in implementing the outcomes of Party General Secretary and State President To Lam's state visit to India in May, and called on both sides to effectively implement high-level agreements on schedule, regularly review progress and promptly address any difficulties to ensure the partnership delivers substantive results./.