The INS Sahyadri (in pic), one of the ships that will visit Tien Sa Port in Vietnam

Three Indian Navy ships will make a port call at Tien Sa Port in Vietnam between May 21 and May 25, as part of an ongoing operational deployment of its Eastern Fleet ships to Southeast Asia and Northwest Pacific regions, the Navy said in a statement on Sunday.

On completion of the harbour phase at Tien Sa Port in Danang, both Indian Navy and Vietnam People’s Navy would be undertaking a joint exercise.

The current visit seeks to enhance maritime cooperation between the two navies and will further bolster the strong bonds of friendship between the two countries and contribute to security and stability in the region and the world at large, the statement said.

During the visit, there would be professional interaction between personnel of both the navies, official calls and interaction with dignitaries of the Vietnamese government.

The three ships — INS Sahyadri, INS Shakti and INS Kamorta — are being led by Rear Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi, Flag Officer Commanding, Eastern Fleet.

India and Vietnam share a robust defence cooperation, especially in the area of maritime security.

In January, for the first time, armies of the two countries held a bilateral exercise in Jabalpur, reflecting the intensifying defence ties in the region.

Enhancing military ties was also a key element of talks during the visit of Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang to India in March this year.

In 2016, during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Vietnam, the relations between the two countries were elevated to the level of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is scheduled to visit Vietnam next month and the Chief of General Staff of Vietnam People’s Army and the Commander-in Chief of Vietnam People’s Navy are scheduled to visit India later this year.

The Indian Navy has had extensive interactions with Vietnam People’s Navy, particularly in the field of training, repairs, maintenance and logistics support aimed at capacity building.

The last visit by Indian Navy ship to Vietnam was in September 2017, when two of its ships — INS Satpura and INS Kadmatt — visited Hai Phong port.