New Delhi: India’s defence minister, Rajnath Singh held bilateral talks with the Defence Minister of Vietnam, General Phan Can Giang today.
The talks focused on the boosting the defence cooperation between two countries.
Minister of Defence of Vietnam, General Pham Van Giang is in India for an official visit from June 18-19. During his time the India, he will go on a cultural visit to Agra.
Earlier, as part of his visit, Vietnam’s Defence minister General Phan Van Giang visited National war memorial in Delhi and lays a wreath there.
During the meeting, both ministers exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest and concerns.
“The visiting dignitary will hold a bilateral meeting with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi on June 19 to carry forward the India-Vietnam defence cooperation,” the defence ministry said.
Vietnam and India have a longstanding strategic and trade relations. Both the counties share a Comprehensive Strategic partnership. According to the India’s Ministry of Defence, the bilateral relation between the India and Vietnam form a significant pillar for the partnership in the region.
As per the release issued by Defence Ministry, defence engagements
between the two countries has diversified in last few years. Both the counties now engage in wide-ranging contacts between the services, training programmes, high level visits, Capacity building and bilateral exercise and shop visits.
Vietnam, a crucial member of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), has long-standing border conflicts with China in the South China Sea region.
Relations between India and Vietnam took to another level of strategic alliance during the visit of Vietnam’s former Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung to India in 2007.
In June 2022, India’s defence minister Rajnath Singh visited Vietnam. During his visit, he signed a major guiding documents called ‘Joint Vision Statement on India-Vietnam Defence partnership towards 2030’ and a Memorandum of Understanding on ‘Mutual Logistics Support’. These steps have substantially enhanced the the scale and scope of defence cooperation among two countries.
Earlier, Ministry of External Affairs(MEA) Secretary, Saurabh Kumar and Vice Chairman of National Boundary Commission of Vietnam Trim Duc Hai discussed ways to further strengthen India-Vietnam bilateral relations including in the areas of defence, security and maritime cooperation. In 2016, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Vietnam, bilateral relations were further enhanced into to a ‘comprehensive strategic partnership’.
“Secy(East) @AmbSaurabhKumar met Vice Chairman Trinh Duc Hai of the National Boundary Commission of Vietnam today. Discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral relations including in the realm of defence, security and maritime cooperation”, tweeted Arindam Bagchi, spokesperson, MEA official.