India, Vietnam sign joint vision statement; look to enhance scope of military ties

Ajay Banerjee

New Delhi, June 8

In an important development in India’s ‘Act East’ policy, India and Vietnam on Wednesday signed the “Joint Vision Statement on India-Vietnam Defence Partnership towards 2030”, which will significantly enhance the scope and scale of existing defence cooperation.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh signed the joint vision statement after a meeting with General Phan Van Giang.

The two sides renewed interactions on expanding bilateral cooperation.

“Our close Defence and Security cooperation is an important factor of stability in the Indo-Pacific region,” tweeted Singh.

The two sides also signed a ‘Memorandum of Understanding on Mutual Logistics Support’.

This is significant as it allows Indian warships and military planes to re-fuel and seek supplies at Vietnamese bases.

Vietnam is one of the six countries locked in dispute with China over territorial demarcation of the South China Sea.