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Pratibha holds talks with President, Prime Minister

Bali: The President Pratibha Patil arrived here from Hanoi on Friday on a five-day visit to Indonesia to promote ties with a country that is an important member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and with which it shares strong historical ties.

She was received at the airport by Mangku Pastika, Governor of Bali.

A joint statement issued by the both countries described the official level discussions held separately with President Nguyen Minh Triet, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, and general secretary of the Vietnamese Communist Party, Non Duc Manh, as having been held in an atmosphere of “friendship, warmth and close understanding.”

The discussions covered issues of bilateral interest covering the “challenging global and regional state of the economy, booming bilateral trade and the promising trend of Indian investment in Vietnam, cooperation in the vital field of steel production, oil and gas, nuclear energy, lines of credit, information and communications, law enforcement, security, defence, education and cultural cooperation.”

The target for $ 2-billion set at the 13th session of the Joint Ministerial Commission of India and Vietnam in 2007 in New Delhi has been achieved ahead of schedule, the statement noted, and the leaders expressed the hope that Vietnamese trade deficit against India would be gradually reduced.

The President has invited her Vietnamese counterpart to pay a State visit to India.In view of the seven-day State mourning in India announced as a mark of respect to the former Prime Minister V.P. Singh, who passed away on Thursday, the President’s visit will be subdued with State banquets and cultural programmes organised in honour of the Indian President cancelled Christy Fernandez, Secretary to President, told the media.

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