Vajpayee in Vietnam to talk trade

Hanoi wants to emulate India's success in IT

By Owen Bennett-Jones in Hanoi

Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, has arrived in Vietnam at the start of a four-day visit.

Before returning to India he will also be going to Indonesia.

Indian officials say the trip is part of India's "Look East" policy and the trip to Hanoi is intended to further the traditionally good relations between India and Vietnam.

Indian officials say Mr Vajpayee's talks in Vietnam will cover regional, international and bilateral issues.

He will meet the three most senior Vietnamese leaders - the president, the prime minister and the Communist Party general secretary.

China

As well as a series of bilateral agreements on issues such as agriculture, tourism and trade, the two sides are likely to discuss China.

While both Delhi and Hanoi are trying to improve their relations with Beijing, both share concerns about Chinese growing influence.

All India radio reported that Vietnam is interested in buying military hardware and other defence equipment from India.

It said that agreements on defence cooperation and the peaceful application of nuclear technology are going to be on the agenda.

Delhi considers Vietnam to be a long-standing ally, not least because Hanoi supports India's bid to get a permanent on an enlarged United Nations Security Council.

In the 1950s the Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh exchanged visits.