India, Vietnam sign Joint Vision Statement on defence partnership

India and Vietnam have signed Joint Vision Statement on defence partnership towards 2030 which will significantly enhance the scope and scale of existing defence cooperation. Defence Minister  Rajnath Singh held bilateral talks with Vietnam’s Minister of National Defence General Phan Van Giang in Hanoi on Wednesday. Wide-ranging discussions on effective and practical initiatives to further expand bilateral defence engagements and regional and global issues were held between the two sides. On the occasion, a Memorandum of Understanding on Mutual Logistics Support was also inked. This is a major step towards simplifying procedures for mutually beneficial logistic support and is the first such major agreement which Vietnam has signed with any country.
During the meeting, both Ministers also agreed for early finalisation of  500 million dollar Defence Line of Credit extended to Vietnam. Implementation of the projects will add substantially to Vietnam’s Defence capabilities and further Prime Minister  Narendra Modi’s vision of Make in India, Make for the World. Singh also announced gifting two simulators and monetary grant towards setting up of Language and IT Lab at Air Force Officers Training School for capacity building of Vietnamese Armed Forces. Earlier,  he began his official visit by paying respects to late President Ho Chi Minh at his Mausoleum in Hanoi. He also visited Tran Quoc Pagoda, a revered Buddhist temple which reaffirmed the age-old civilizational and people-to-people linkages between the two countries.

Visited the Mausoleum of the Founding Father of Vietnam, President Ho Chi Minh and paid respectful homage to the great leader. pic.twitter.com/zewPsqeRcQ

— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) June 8, 2022

India and Vietnam share a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership since 2016 and defence cooperation is a key pillar of this partnership. Vietnam is an important partner in India’s Act East policy and the Indo-Pacific vision. Both countries share a rich history of civilisational and cultural linkages spanning over two thousand years. The two countries also continue to have most trustworthy relations in contemporary times with broader convergence of interests and common concerns.