Defence Minister Rajnath Singh went on a 3-day official visit to Vietnam from 8th June 2022, at the invitation of Vietnam’s Minister of National Defence General Phan Van Giang.
- The visit marks 50 years of establishment of India-Vietnam Diplomatic relations and 75 years of India’s Independence.
- Vietnam is an important partner in India’s Act East policy and the Indo-Pacific vision.
Agenda of the visit
i.Rajnath Singh will hold bilateral talks with General Phan Van Giang for defence cooperation.
ii.He will hand over 12 High Speed Guard Boats constructed under the Government of India to Vietnam at the Hong Ha Shipyard in Hai Phong, Vietnam.
iii.He will also visit the training institutions of Vietnam at Nha Trang, including the Telecommunication University.
iv.He will attend a community event organised by the Embassy of India, Hanoi and interact with the Indian diaspora in Vietnam.
Joint Vision Statement Signed to Enhance Defence Cooperation; MoU on Logistics Support
i.On 8th June 2022 Rajnath Singh and Vietnam’s Minister of National Defence General Phan Van Giang signed the ‘Joint Vision Statement on India-Vietnam Defence Partnership towards 2030’ in Hanoi, Vietnam to further expand bilateral defence engagements and regional & global issues were held between the two sides.
- A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Mutual Logistics Support was also signed in the presence of both the Ministers. This is the first such agreement signed by Vietnam with any other country.
- Both ministers also agreed for the early finalisation of the USD 500 million Defence Line of Credit extended to Vietnam.
Rajnath Singh Hands over 12 High-Speed Guard Boats to Vietnam
On 9th June 2022 Rajnath Singh handed over 12 High Speed Guard Boats to Vietnam during his visit to Hong Ha Shipyard in Hai Phong, Vietnam.
- It was constructed under the Government of India’s $US 100 million Defence Line of Credit to Vietnam.
- The initial 5 boats were built in the Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Shipyard in India and the other 7 in Hong Ha Shipyard in Vietnam.
Rajnath Singh Gifts USD 1 million to Vietnamese Air Force training institute
On 10th June 2022 Rajnath Singh gifted 2 simulators and a grant of USD 1 million to Vietnamese Air Force training institute for a language and Information Technology (IT) laboratory capacity building.
- He also visited the Telecommunications University in Nha Trang where an Army software park is being established with a USD 5 million grant from India.
India & Vietnam Partnership:
i.India and Vietnam have shared Partnership has been carried for many years and the level of strategic partnership showed up during the visit of Nguyen Tan Dung to India in July 2007.
- The partnership further elevated in 2016 as a ‘comprehensive strategic partnership’ from when Vietnam played a vital role in India’s Act East policy and the Indo-Pacific vision.
ii.Defence cooperation being the key pillar in partnership, India also holds oil exploration projects in the Vietnamese waters in the South China Sea.
- The extended bilateral defence engagements include wide-ranging contacts between the two countries, including defence policy dialogues, military-to-military exchanges, high-level visits, capacity building and training programmes, cooperation in UN Peacekeeping, ship visits and bilateral exercises.
Recent related news:
In April 2022, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External affairs minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar visited the United States (US) to attend the 4th India – US 2+2 ministerial dialogue 2022 in Washington D.C, US.
Ministry of Defence:
Union Minister – Rajnath Singh (Constituency – Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh)
Minister of state – Ajay Bhatt
