New Delhi, Aug 30 (IANS): With Covid-19 cases on the rise in Vietnam, Indian Naval Ship Airavat arrived at Ho Chi Minh City port with Covid-19 relief material on Monday.

"The ship is carrying 100 MT of Liquid Medical Oxygen in five ISO containers and 300 oxygen concentrators of 10 LPM capacity each, based on the requirement projected by the Government of Vietnam in its fight against the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic," an Indian Navy statement said.

INS Airavat, an indigenously-built Landing Ship Tank (Large) under the Eastern Naval Command based at Visakhapatnam, is on a deployment to Southeast Asia for trans-shipment of Covid relief aid.

The ship had earlier visited Tanjung Priok Port in Jakarta on August 24 and disembarked 10 Liquid Medical Oxygen containers requested by the Indonesian government.

As part of India's vision of Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR), the Indian Navy has been proactively engaging with countries in the region and has been at the forefront of numerous humanitarian missions spanning the entire extent of the Indian Ocean including from southeast Asia to east Africa.

India and Vietnam enjoy a strong traditional bond of friendship and have been working together towards a safer maritime domain. The two navies cooperate in various areas including a composite training programme in the fields of submarine, aviation and technical training, and regularly carry out joint naval exercises in the form of bilateral exercises. The current deployment of the ship aims to further strengthen the strategic relationship.

The ship will depart Ho Chi Minh City post disembarkation of the medical supplies and as part of the ongoing Mission SAGAR, continue onwards to deliver medical supplies to other friendly nations in the region.