Vietnam, India hold ninth defence dialogue

Deputy Defence Minister, Sen. Lieut. Gen Nguyen Chi Vinh (R) and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. Photo: VNA

At the dialogue, Deputy Defence Minister, Sen. Lieut. Gen Nguyen Chi Vinh and his Indian counterpart Shri R.K. Mathur also agreed that both sides will continue sharing defence strategies and polices via visits and training courses for armies, especially naval forces.

They are due to extend the second stage of a project on developing an Indian-funded centre of IT, foreign languages and informatics into a major software hub in central Vietnam.

The two sides consented to work closely together at multilateral forums in the region, including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the ASEAN Regional Forum, the ASEAN Defence Ministerial Meeting Plus while effectively carrying out an initiative on humanitarian mine action.

The Indian side promised to partner with Vietnam in its preparations to join UN peacekeeping mission.

Deputy Minister Shri Mathur reiterated that India always wants to foster cooperation with Vietnam, which is considered a pillar in its Look East policy.

Deputy Minister Vinh, for his part, vowed to do his best to develop bilateral defence ties in a way that matches potentials of both nations.

Turning to regional and global issues of common concern, they shared the view that all disputes and differences should be settled via peaceful dialogues and in line with international law without the use or threat of force.

Reviewing the progress of bilateral defence partnership, they took note of the progress in implementing a 100 million USD credit that India provides to Vietnam to build ships for Vietnamese law enforcement forces at sea.

Deputy Minister Vinh informed his host that the centre of IT, foreign languages and informatics under the Vietnamese Defence Ministry’s Telecommunications University will be put into operation in the second quarter of this year, which is the result of the first-stage assistance that India gives to the Vietnamese defence ministry.

The Vietnamese Deputy Defence Minister was received by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval the same day.

VNA