Hanoi (VNA) – A high-ranking Indian military delegation led by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh paid an official visit to Vietnam from May 18 to 19 at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister of Vietnam General Phan Van Giang.
On May 19 morning, General Giang chaired an official welcome ceremony for Minister Rajnath Singh and the Indian delegation at the headquarters of the Ministry of National Defence in Hanoi.
Following the ceremony, the two sides held talks during which the Vietnamese minister emphasised the significance of the visit as the two countries celebrate the 10th anniversary of their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and recently upgraded ties to an Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership under the spirit of “Shared Vision, Strategic Convergence and Substantive Cooperation,” during the state visit to India by Party General Secretary and State President To Lam from May 5-8.
He expressed his admiration for India’s remarkable development achievements, noting that the country has become the world’s fourth-largest economy with major advances in science and technology, as well as an increasingly important role in regional and global affairs.
Reviewing recent defence cooperation, Giang said bilateral ties have developed comprehensively across various fields based on signed agreements, particularly the Joint Vision Statement on Vietnam–India Defence Partnership toward 2030 signed during Rajnath Singh’s visit to Vietnam in 2022.
He thanked the Indian ministry for its effective support in improving training quality at Vietnamese military academies, including a non-refundable grant package worth 1 million USD to build an English language laboratory for the Air Force Officers College, as well as other concessional credit packages.
He proposed both sides continue implementing agreed cooperation areas, with priority given to maintaining delegation exchanges and annual collaboration mechanisms to strengthen political trust and deepen defence ties. Based on the memorandum of intent on education and training cooperation signed in 2024, he also expressed his hope that India will continue providing scholarships for Vietnamese defence personnel and consider expanding quotas in fields where Vietnam has growing demand.
The two sides also agreed to further cooperation in defence industry, cybersecurity, military medicine, search and rescue operations, United Nations peacekeeping and exchanges among military services.
General Giang also invited leaders of the Indian Ministry of Defence and Indian defence enterprises to participate in and showcase products at the third Vietnam Defence Expo, scheduled for this December.
During the talks, the two ministers exchanged views on regional and international issues. The Vietnamese officer reaffirmed Vietnam’s consistent foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation and development, as well as its “Four No’s” defence policy. He reiterated Vietnam’s position that disputes in the East Sea should be settled peacefully in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). He also showed his hope that negotiations on and the signing of a substantive, effective and efficient Code of Conduct in the East Sea will be concluded at an early date.
For his part, Minister Singh thanked the Vietnamese ministry for the warm reception and said he was honoured that his visit coincided with the 136th birth anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh, a visionary leader admired by the Indian people.
He stressed that Vietnam and India share a close friendship founded on defence cooperation and mutual trust, adding that the visit demonstrates the depth and closeness of bilateral ties.
At the conclusion of the talks, the two ministers inaugurated an English language laboratory at the Air Force Officers College funded by the Indian Government and witnessed the signing ceremony of a cooperation agreement between the Telecommunications University and the Military College of Telecommunication Engineering of India./.
