Indian PM leaves for Vietnam, RI

Indian PM leaves for Vietnam, RI

NEW DELHI (AFP): Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee
left Sunday, on an eight-day visit, for Vietnam and Indonesia to
try and secure a better foothold in the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations.

"We have traditional close and friendly ties with both the
countries and my visit to Vietnam and Indonesia will bolster the
existing friendship," Vajpayee told reporters before leaving the
Indian capital.

The Indian prime minister said he hoped his visit would
further consolidate relations with ASEAN countries that are
"witnessing rapid economic growth."

"My visit, which is a part of India's 'Look East' policy,
would reaffirm the closeness of our relations at the highest
political level," Vajpayee said.

The prime minister said New Delhi's friendly relations with
Hanoi and Jakarta were "rooted in the strong civilizational and
cultural linkages between India and Southeast Asia, going back
thousands of years.