India and Vietnam are expected to sign an agreement for oil exploration in the South China Sea after the talks between the two Prime Ministers in New Delhi today.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, who is on a visit, was given a ceremonial reception at the forecourts of Rashtrapati Bhavan this morning. Later, he visited Rajghat, the Samadhi of Mahatma Gandhi, and paid floral tributes. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan called on the visiting dignitary.

Mr Dung's visit is being seen by the Indian side as an opportunity to increase economic engagement.

Power and Coal Minister Piyush Goyal said Indian infrastructure companies are keen to execute projects in Vietnam that will help more than double the bilateral trade to USD 15 billion by 2020. At an interactive session of the visiting dignitary, he said, dialogue is on with domestic companies to set up projects in Vietnam on build, operate and transfer basis.