Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will pay an official visit to Vietnam from June 8 to 10 to hold bilateral talks with Vietnam’s Minister of National Defence General Phan Van Giang. The two leaders will review defence cooperation between the countries and explore new initiatives to strengthen the defence engagements, stated the Union Defence Ministry on Sunday.
The visit is being made at the invitation of general Phan Van Giang, and Rajnath will start his visit by paying respects to late President Ho Chi Minh at his Mausoleum in Hanoi, a PIB release stated.
It stated that Vietnam is an important partner in India’s Act East policy and the Indo-Pacific vision. Bilateral defence engagements have expanded over a period of time to include wide-ranging contacts between the 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, it stated.
The two ministers will also exchange views on regional and global issues of shared interest. The defence minister is also scheduled to call on Vietnam President Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, it added.
At the Hong Ha Shipyard in Hai Phong, Rajnath will preside over the handing over ceremony of 12 High Speed Guard Boats constructed under the Government of India’s $100 million Defence Line of Credit to Vietnam. This project is significant in the context of the growing defence industry cooperation with Vietnam and exemplifies Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ and ‘Make in India', ‘Make for the World’, it mentioned.
It further stated that during the visit, Rajnath Singh will also visit the training institutions of Vietnam at Nha Trang, including the Telecommunication University where an Army Software Park is being established with the US$ 5 million grant from Government of India. He will also attend a community event organised by the Embassy of India, Hanoi and interact with the Indian diaspora in Vietnam, it stated.
India and Vietnam have shared a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership since 2016 and defence cooperation is a key pillar of this partnership, it mentioned.
The defence minister’s visit on the historic occasion of 50 years of establishment of India-Vietnam Diplomatic relations and 75 years of India’s Independence will further consolidate the bilateral defence cooperation and the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the PIB release added.
