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.