The upcoming visit of Vietnam‘s Minister of National Defence, General Phan Van Giang, to India holds great significance in strengthening bilateral defence ties and the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two nations.
The Vietnamese minister of National Defence, General Phan Van Giang is arriving on a three day visit this weekend and is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with his counterpart Rajnath Singh on June 19. The two sides are expected to discuss deeper maritime cooperation, industrial participation in the defence sector as well as enhancing defence cooperation between the two countries.
According to a top diplomat, Vietnam is an important pillar of India’s Act East Asia policy and the forthcoming visit holds significance as the Asean nation has become an important partner in India’s Indo-Pacific vision.
While India has oil exploration projects in the Vietnamese waters in the South China Sea, an important country in the ASEAN region, Vietnam has territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea region. Also the two countries in an effort to protect common interests are boosting their maritime security cooperation.
India-Vietnam Strategic Partnership
In July 2007, during the visit of Vietnam’s then-Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung to India the bilateral relations of the two countries were elevated to the level of “strategic partnership”.
During the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Vietnam in 2016 the bilateral relations between the two countries were elevated to a “comprehensive strategic partnership” .
In June 2022, defence Minister Rajnath had visited Vietnam and the focus was on further consolidating bilateral ties between the two countries. During that visit Singh had handed over 12 high-speed guard boats, built with Indian assistance to Vietnam.
Will Vietnam buy BrahMos Missile?
In recent years, there have been significant exchanges and cooperation, including the transfer of high-speed guard boats from India to Vietnam. Talks regarding Vietnam’s potential acquisition of BrahMos supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles are ongoing, highlighting the growing interest from ASEAN countries in this advanced weaponry. The signing of the Mutual Logistics Agreement and the invitation for Vietnam to participate in India’s defence industrial transformation reflect the deepening cooperation between the two nations.