Hanoi, May 19: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh arrived in Hanoi on Monday for a two-day visit to Vietnam aimed at strengthening strategic military ties and expanding defence cooperation under the recently upgraded India-Vietnam Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
The visit coincides with the 10th anniversary of India-Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which was elevated to an Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during Vietnamese President To Lam’s state visit to India earlier this month.
Welcoming Singh, the Indian Embassy in Hanoi described defence cooperation as a key pillar of bilateral relations and noted that the minister would also engage with the Indian community in Vietnam.
During his stay, Singh is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Vietnam’s Minister of National Defence, General Phan Van Giang, focusing on strategic military cooperation, defence industrial collaboration and maritime security.
Ahead of his departure, Singh said his visit to Vietnam and South Korea aims to further broaden bilateral engagement and reinforce regional peace and stability.
He said the agenda would prioritise deepening military cooperation, expanding defence industry partnerships and promoting maritime collaboration in the Indo-Pacific region.
According to India’s Defence Ministry, the visit builds on the Joint Vision Statement on India-Vietnam Defence Partnership towards 2030 signed during Singh’s previous visit to Vietnam in 2022, which outlined a long-term roadmap for defence cooperation.
The minister’s visit also coincides with the 136th birth anniversary of former Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh. Singh will pay tribute by laying a wreath at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum.
Following Vietnam, Singh will travel to South Korea for the second leg of his two-nation tour.
In Seoul, he will hold talks with South Korean Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back to review ongoing defence cooperation and explore new initiatives to strengthen bilateral ties.
The discussions are expected to cover defence collaboration as well as regional and global security issues of shared interest.
Singh is also scheduled to meet Defence Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) Minister Lee Yong-cheol and chair the India-Korea business roundtable aimed at boosting defence and industrial engagement.
The Defence Ministry highlighted India’s historic contribution during the Korean War, including the deployment of the 60 Parachute Field Ambulance unit and India’s leadership of the Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission, which played a key role in post-war prisoner repatriation.
To honour Indian soldiers who served during the conflict, Singh and South Korean Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Kwon Oh-eul are scheduled to jointly inaugurate the Indian War Memorial on May 21.
The ministry said the convergence between India’s Act East Policy and South Korea’s Indo-Pacific Strategy is creating fresh momentum in bilateral relations and opening new avenues for strategic cooperation.
