Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President To Lam of Vietnam reaffirmed that defence and security cooperation remains a central pillar of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two nations.
Both sides agreed to intensify collaboration in traditional and emerging areas of defence, with a particular emphasis on enhancing defence systems procurement and expanding engagements across multiple domains. This reflects the shared commitment of India and Vietnam to strengthen their strategic alignment and contribute to stability in the wider Indo-Pacific region.
The joint statement highlighted that defence cooperation will be deepened through defence policy dialogue, joint exercises, staff talks, joint research and co-production of new defence technologies.
It also included enhanced port calls by naval vessels and air force aircraft, peacekeeping activities, information sharing, hydrography, defence exhibitions, capacity building, defence industrial cooperation, maritime security, maritime safety, and search and rescue operations. These initiatives are designed to align with the mutual interests and priorities of both countries.
The leaders welcomed the steady progress in implementing the Defence Lines of Credit extended by India to Vietnam, which have significantly bolstered Vietnam’s defence capabilities and advanced bilateral cooperation.
They expressed satisfaction with the implementation of bilateral defence agreements, including the Mutual Logistics Support Agreement, the Memorandum of Agreement on Submarine Search and Rescue Support and Cooperation, and the Letter of Intent on Strengthening Defence Industrial Cooperation. These frameworks continue to provide a strong foundation for expanding defence ties.
The statement noted the inaugural joint hydrographic survey conducted by the two navies in May 2025 off the coast of Vietnam, which was welcomed as a milestone in maritime cooperation. Both sides agreed to conduct similar exercises regularly in the future, reinforcing their shared commitment to maritime safety and security.
Vietnam also expressed appreciation for the training offered by India to Vietnamese defence personnel under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme, delivered through Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force Training Teams at institutions such as the Telecommunications University, Naval Academy, and Air Force College in Nha Trang. India’s support for the establishment of the Army Software Park at TCU, Nha Trang, was also acknowledged as a significant contribution to capacity building.
The leaders welcomed the decision for India and Vietnam to co-chair the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus Experts’ Working Group on Cyber Security for the 2027–2030 cycle, which will enhance cooperation in addressing emerging cyber threats. They also agreed to strengthen cooperation in legal and judicial fields through the effective implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Law and Justice of India and the Ministry of Justice of Vietnam.
Both sides committed to deepening cooperation between the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam and the National Security Council Secretariat of India to achieve shared objectives.
This includes broadening collaboration in information sharing, cybersecurity, counterterrorism, combating high-tech crime, transnational crime, money laundering, and online scams.
The importance of effectively utilising existing mechanisms, such as the India-Vietnam Security Dialogue, was underscored as a means to advance these goals.
The leaders welcomed the successful convening of the First India-Vietnam Cyber Policy Dialogue, which provided a platform to exchange views on recent developments in cyber policies, review the cyber threat landscape, identify areas of bilateral cooperation, and discuss joint capacity building activities and cooperation at multilateral fora on ICT issues.
Both sides agreed to enhance the exchange of experience and expand cooperation in the security domain, including promoting training and capacity building for law enforcement officers, professional training, foreign language training, cybersecurity incident response skills, UN Peacekeeping, and other mutually agreed activities.
The joint statement concluded by commending the effective implementation of the Joint Vision Statement on India-Vietnam Defence Partnership towards 2030, which continues to guide the growing defence ties between the two countries.
This vision provides a long-term framework for cooperation, ensuring that defence and security remain at the heart of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
ANI
