NEW DELHI: In a bid to carry forward India-Vietnam defence collaboration, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will meet with General Phan Van Giang Monday. The two will also discuss topics of shared interest in the region and around the world.

General Phan Van Giang, the national defence minister of Vietnam, will visit India on business from June 18 to 19. The minister will during his stay, also undertake a cultural visit to Agra.  There is a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between India and Vietnam. According to a statement made by the Ministry of Defence, bilateral defence cooperation are a key tenet of this alliance.

According to the press release, defence engagements between the two countries have expanded to include a variety of contacts between the services, military-to-military exchanges, high-level visits, programmes to build capacity and train personnel, participation in UN peacekeeping, ship visits, and bilateral exercises. The Joint Vision Statement on India-Vietnam Defence Partnership towards 2030 and a Memorandum of Understanding on "Mutual Logistics Support" were signed during Rajnath Singh's visit to Vietnam in June 2022, and they have significantly expanded the scope and scale of defence cooperation between the two nations.

Meanwhile, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam National Boundary Commission Trinh Duc Hai and Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Secretary (East) Saurabh Kumar recently discussed ways to further strengthen India-Vietnam bilateral relations, including in the areas of defence, security, and maritime cooperation. "Today, Vice Chairman Trinh Duc Hai of the National Boundary Commission of Vietnam was met by Secy (East) @AmbSaurabhKumar. Arindam Bagchi, the official spokesperson for the MEA, tweeted that they "discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral relations, including in the realm of defence, security and maritime cooperation."

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