From correspondents in Delhi, India, 09:30 PM IST

India and Vietnam will expand their political and business ties during the five-day visit of Vietnamese Vice-President Nguyen Thi Doan that began here Wednesday.

Accompanied by senior ministers and officials, Doan arrived here in the evening.

Doan will hold talks with her Indian counterpart Vice-President Hamid Ansari at Hyderabad House Thursday on a wide range of bilateral and regional issues, including the expansion of economic and development ties and India's participation in the forthcoming ASEAN summit in Thailand.

Issues relating to UN reforms will also figure in the discussions.

Vietnam will assume the rotating presidency of the United Nations Security Council next month.

United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) L.K. Advani will also call on Doan, a veteran of the Communist Party of Vietnam.

The focus of the visit will be predominantly economic. Doan is expected make a strong pitch for attracting Indian investment to Vietnam, one of the fastest growing economies in Southeast Asia.

India's Mundra Port and Special Economic Zone Limited is engaged in talks with the Vietnamese government to build a port in Vietnam, according to reports.

If the deal comes through, Mundra Port will be the first Indian company to set up a port abroad.

The 58-year-old Vietnamese leader will also visit Agra and Gaya Saturday.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)