India-Vietnam 14th Policy Dialogue: Bolster Defense Ties

Meeting Overview and Key Participants

• 14th India-Vietnam Defence Policy Dialogue held in New Delhi on August 1, 2024
• Co-chaired by Indian Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane and Vietnam's Deputy Minister of National Defence, Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien
• Coincided with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's three-day visit to India
• Reviewed bilateral defence cooperation issues and progress since the June 2022 'Joint Vision Statement on India-Vietnam Defence Partnership towards 2030'

Proposed Areas of Cooperation

Vietnam's Five-Point Proposal:

• Delegation exchanges and dialogue
• Staff talks
• Service-to-Service cooperation
• Education and training
• Defence Industry cooperation

India's Proposed Emerging Areas:

• Cyber Security
• Information Security
• Military Medicine
• Submarine Search & Rescue

Agreements and Future Collaborations

• Signing of Letter of Intent to strengthen cooperation in training, including exchange of instructors and experts
• Defence Secretary Aramane highlighted potential of India's domestic defence industry to support Vietnam's armed forces
• Emphasis on fruitful partnership between Indian defence industry and Vietnam People's Armed Forces
• Acknowledgment of transformative progress in ties since the June 2022 Joint Vision Statement

Strategic Importance and Bilateral Relations

• Defence cooperation as a cornerstone of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between India and Vietnam
• Vietnam recognized as key partner in India's Act East Policy and Indo-Pacific strategy
• Bilateral relations elevated to "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership" during Prime Minister Modi's 2016 visit to Vietnam
• Frequent high-level visits, including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's June 2022 Vietnam trip
• Signing of "Joint Vision Statement on India-Vietnam Defence Partnership towards 2030" and "Memorandum of Understanding on Mutual Logistics Support" in June 2022