With an eye on China’s growing aggressive behaviour on maritime issues, India and Vietnam today signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Mutual Logistics Support and a  ‘Joint Vision Statement on India-Vietnam Defence Partnership towards 2030’, which will significantly enhance the scope and scale of existing defence cooperation.

The two documents were inked after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s bilateral talks with Vietnam’s Minister of National Defence General Phan Van Giang in Hanoi.

An official statement said 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.

The MoU on Mutual Logistics Support was also inked in the presence of both the ministers. This is seen as a major initiative toward simplifying procedures for mutually beneficial logistic support and is the first such major accord which Vietnam has signed with any country.

The two ministers also agreed on the early finalisation of the $500 million Defence Line of Credit extended to Vietnam. Implementation of the projects shall add substantially to Vietnam’s defence capabilities and further Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Make in India, Make for the World’.

Rajnath also announced the gifting of two simulators and a monetary grant towards the setting up of a Language and IT Lab at the Air Force Officers Training School for capacity building of the Vietnamese armed forces.

Rajnath began his official visit by paying respects to late Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum in Hanoi. He also visited Tran Quoc Pagoda, a revered Buddhist temple which reaffirmed the age-old civilisational and people-to-people linkages between the two countries.

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 2,000 years. India and Vietnam continue to have the most trustworthy relations in contemporary times with broader convergence of interests and common concerns.