Veitnam says more Indian warships are welcome to its ports

New Delhi, (ANI): Vietnam has said that defence cooperation with India has been going since 1980s and Indian warships are most welcome to its ports.

Talking exclusively to ANI, Vietnamese Ambassador to India Nguyen Thanh Tan said: "India and Vietnam have close defence cooperation since early 1980s. Indian Warships have been visiting Vietnam since then. We think that such cooperation is now strengthened and developing rapidly."

"We welcome Indian ships to our ports," Tan added.

Vietnamese envoy was reacting to a report published in London-based Financial Times, which said that a Chinese warship confronted INS Airavat shortly after it left Vietnamese waters in late July in the South China Sea.

Although Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and Defence Ministry have rejected the reports ofonfrontation, but India confirmed that its warship was contacted on open radio channel by a caller identifying himself as the "Chinese Navy" stating that "you are entering Chinese waters".

However, no ship or aircraft was visible from INS Airavat, which proceeded on her onward journey as scheduled, according to a MEA statement.

Vietnamese envoy further said that the reported incident will have no effect on the defence ties between India and Veitnam and more warships are expected to visit its ports.

External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna will be visiting Vietnam later this month, while Vietnamese President will be coming to India in October.

China is getting more and more assertive and is hardening its position on South China sea which it claims top be its waters. 

By Naveen Kapoor (ANI)