Hanoi (VNA) – The Vietnam-India Bilateral Exercise 2025 (VINBAX 2025) opened at the National Military Training Centre 4 in Hanoi on November 11.
Co-hosted by the defence ministries of Vietnam and India, the exercise aims to enhance the professional capacity, coordination, and field exercise organisation for the two countries' engineer, military medical, and search and rescue forces prior to deployment for UN Peacekeeping operations.
In his opening remarks, Senior Lieutenant General Phung Si Tan, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army and deputy head of the Ministry of National Defence’s Steering Committee on UN Peacekeeping Operations, expressed delight at the continuous consolidation and development of the Vietnam-India defence cooperation.
He noted that VINBAX 2025, the fourth field-based bilateral exercise of its kind between the two armies, is a practical continuation of the successful VINBAX 2024 held in India.
The annual exercise is the most vivid testament to the increasingly substantive and effective collaboration between the two sides, especially as India is the only international partner to date to conduct such an exercise with Vietnam, Tan affirmed.
He took the opportunity to thank the Indian Ministry of Defence for its active support for Vietnam’s participation in UN peacekeeping activities and its close coordination in organising VINBAX 2025.
Indian Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh highlighted the exercise as a vibrant symbol of the strong development in defence cooperation and strategic trust between the two armies. He emphasised that VINBAX has become one of the most important pillars of bilateral defence cooperation, reflecting the shared commitment of Vietnam and India to regional peace and stability.
Singh noted that the exercise - which has evolved from initial tabletop drills into a comprehensive, in-depth professional activity - provides an opportunity for both armies to train and learn practical experience in humanitarian and peacekeeping scenarios.
The drills, built upon UN standard procedures, focus on humanitarian aid and disaster relief, embodying the spirit of peace and humanity shared by both nations.
According to Maj. Gen. Pham Manh Thang, Director of the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations, who is the exercise director, VINBAX 2025 will run for 18 days with the participation of nearly 300 personnel.
The programme includes theoretical training, practical skill development, and integrated field exercise. The professional agenda will be supplemented with cultural exchange, sports, and social activities to strengthen the bond and mutual understanding among participants./.
