Vietnamese PM(Eds: Updating with info on more meetings)By Manash Pratim BhuyanManila, Nov 14 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi todayheld separate talks with his counterparts from Japan ShinzoAbe and Australia Malcolm Turnbull focusing on crafting a newstrategy for the Indo-Pacific region in the backdrop ofemerging configuration of a key quadrilateral alliance.
On the second day of the ASEAN summit here, Modi alsoheld bilateral meetings with Vietnamese Premier Nguyen XuanPhuc, Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah and New Zealand PrimeMinister Jacinda Ardern, and discussed ways to further ramp upcooperation in various key areas like trade and investment andmaritime security.
The prime ministerÂ’s meetings with Abe and Turnbull camea day after he held "very expansive" talks with US PresidentDonald Trump on intensifying overall security and defencecooperation, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region whereChina is strengthening its military build up.
On Sunday, India, Australia, Japan and the US held theirfirst meeting to give shape to the much talked aboutquadrilateral alliance to keep the Indo-Pacific region "freeand open".
The issue was discussed during the Modi-Trump meetingyesterday and is understood to have figured in the primeministerÂ’s talks today with both Abe and Turnbull.
"My friend @AbeShinzo and I had an excellent meeting inManila. We reviewed the ground covered on various aspects ofIndia-Japan ties and discussed ways to deepen cooperationbetween our economies and people," Modi tweeted.
Without giving much details, external affairs ministryspokesperson Raveesh Kumar said the two leaders held a "wideranging and engaging" discussion on "intensifying" SpecialStrategic and Global Partnership between the two countries.
Japan's Foreign Minister Taro Kono last month had saidthat Tokyo favours the quadrilateral dialogue to further booststrategic partnership among the four countries.
On his talks with Turnbull, Modi said he was delighted tomeet the Australian Prime Minister and that their discussionstoday added new vigour to the friendship between the twocountries.
In a tweet, Turnbull described the meeting as"productive" and said the discussions focused on increasedeconomic cooperation, security, and counter-terrorism.
The MEA spokesperson said the two leaders discussed waysto optimise significant potential for further cooperationacross a broad range of areas.
A number of issues including bilateral cooperation indefence and security sphere were discussed in ModiÂ’s meetingwith his Vietnamese counterpart.
"Vietnam's PM, Mr Nguyen Xuan Phuc and I held wideranging deliberations on enhancing India-Vietnam friendship,which can greatly benefit our citizens and region," Moditweeted.
The Modi-Phuc meeting came days after Trump's visit toVietnam where he offered to mediate in the South China Seadispute between several ASEAN member countries includingVietnam, and China.
China claims sovereignty over all of the South China Sea,a huge source of hydrocarbons. However, several ASEAN membercountries including Vietnam, the Philippines and Brunei havecounter claims.
India has been supporting freedom of navigation andaccess to resources in the South China Sea in accordance withprinciples of international law, including the 1982 UNConvention on the Law of the Sea.
Modi described his meeting with the New Zealand primeminister as "wonderful" adding they discussed deepeningeconomic and cultural cooperation between the two countries.
On his meeting with the Sultan of Brunei, Modi said the"extensive talks" will broaden bilateral ties between the twocountries.
"Glad to have met Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei. Ourextensive talks will broaden bilateral ties between ournations," he said in another tweet.
Kumar said both leaders had fruitful discussions onexpanding bilateral partnership, specially in trade andinvestment, renewable energy, culture and people to peoplecontacts. PTI MPB NSA AKJNSA.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.