How Hanoi and New Delhi are fortifying defence ties

News: India and Vietnam recently deepened their bilateral cooperation with the signing of the Joint Vision Statement on India-Vietnam Defence Partnership towards 2030.

Apart from that, the early finalisation of the $500 million Defence Line of Credit extended by India to Vietnam and the implementation of existing projects which would complement India’s ‘Make in India, Make for the world’ was also discussed.

About Joint Vision Statement on India-Vietnam Defence Partnership towards 2030

Aim: To boost the scope and scale of the existing defence cooperation between the two nations.

The vision document facilitates both sides to expand avenues of effective and practicable collaboration in bilateral defence engagements pertaining to regional and global issues.

Significance: This is the first agreement of its kind that Vietnam has entered into with any other country. The agreement also elevates the standing of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) which Vietnam shares with India since 2016 (along with only Russia and China).

How do India-Vietnam ties evolve over time?

Maritime domain: This occupies a central focus of India – Vietnam relations. Both countries find convergence in their approaches toward the maintenance of stability and security of the Indo-Pacific which has translated into diplomatic and political support in the context of developments within the region.

Geostrategic collaboration: China’s expanding footprints in the Indo-Pacific made emphasis on cooperative mechanisms and frameworks across the region. Vietnam, like India, supports freedom of navigation and opposes any threats to sovereign maritime territorial rights.

India has supported Vietnam’s position in the South China Sea with respect to Beijing’s destabilising actions and coercive tactics. India has also not backed down from continuing ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL)’s oil exploration project in Block 128 (which is within Hanoi’s EEZ) despite China’s protests.

These instances deepened India’s operational outreach in the Indo-Pacific and have successfully cemented India’s role as a capable, willing and reliable partner.

Defence partnership: Ever since India and Vietnam signed the Defence Protocol in 2000 the defence collaboration has been growing steadily.

Today it covers extensive navy-to-navy cooperation spanning the exchange of intelligence, production and logistical support for Vietnam’s defence requirements, development of naval facilities such as Nha Trang, defence dialogues, high-level visits and the supply of warships and cruise missiles.

Further, India’s Act East Policy, maritime multilateralism, maritime security outreach and the building of stronger networks across the Indo-Pacific are some of the key elements which have made India and Veitnam natural partners.

Source: The post is based on the article “How Hanoi and New Delhi are fortifying defence ties” published in “The Hindu” on 27^th June 2022.