Direct flight between India and Vietnam will begin from November, this year.

The visiting Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh while speaking at the Indian Council of World Affairs here on Friday said ‘India should play a leading role in integrating Indo-Pacific region. ASEAN can play a crucial role for India to enter into the Pacific and South-East Asia region.”

Projecting the centrality of ASEAN, Pham termed India as “an important partner” and its “formidable presence in Indo-Pacific” can help in regional integration.

India with its geopolitical location and with its expertise in information technology and as a founder of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is best suited for the job.

The Vietnamese Minister described ASEAN as a hub of regional treaties and surged to look beyond the ASEAN Plan for 2015. He welcomed Indian External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid’s statement at Brunei India-ASEAN Ministerial Meeting reflecting the “consistent position of India” on the centrality of ASEAN.

He said that India’s Look East Policy and Vietnam’s Foreign Policy affords scope for placing the strategic partnership between the two countries on a firm footing.

On the situation in South China Sea and East Sea, Pham said it is “complicated”. Referring to China, he said “claim of one country is too much, covering 80% of South China Sea.” This, he said “hampers freedom of navigation.”

He said that ASEAN and Vietnam respect the international laws and the UN Laws on Seas.

The Vietnamese Minister said that ASEAN and China should negotiate for a Code of Conduct for parties in this matter which would be legally binding. In the recent Burnei meeting China has agreed to have official consultations for drafting a Code of Conduct.

There are other areas of dispute between China and the countries in the region like one relating to Spartly Islands.

He regetted the cracks in ASEAN unity in 2012 Summit on the issue of regional dispute and said that ASEAN needs to speak in one voice.

On Thursday after his discussions with the Indian External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid, Pham said that India’s presence in the exploration blocs in South China Sea is within the exclusive economic zones (EEZs) of Vietnam, indicating the issue is one of bilateral nature between the two countries which do not involve China.

India agreed to supply patrol vehicles to Vietnam to guard its coasts.