Vietnam’s Minister of Public Security General Ph. To Lam visited India on April 9-10 and held talks with India’s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval. Both officials jointly mapped the future of defence and security cooperation between the two countries. The visit is also a reflection of the continuing and strengthening India-Vietnam defence cooperation that has spanned over two decades including the 2016 visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Vietnam during which the two countries decided to elevate their relations to the level of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of which defence cooperation is a key pillar.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s visit to Vietnam in June 2022 was also a major milestone in the defence relations between India and Vietnam. The two sides signed the ‘Joint Vision Statement on India-Vietnam Defence Partnership towards 2030’ which significantly enhances the scope and scale of the existing defence cooperation.

Along with the Joint Vision document, India and Vietnam also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Mutual Logistics Support. This MoU simplifies the procedures for mutually-beneficial logistic support and allows militaries of the two sides to use each other’s bases for repairs and replenishment of supplies. This is the first such agreement that Vietnam has signed with any country. India also agreed to accelerate the grant of $500 million Line of Credit (LOC) which would be used to buy key defence equipment from India. Rajnath Singh also announced gifting of two simulators and monetary grants to set up Languages and IT Labs at Air Force Officers Training School for capacity building of Vietnamese Armed Forces.

India’s outreach to Vietnam is significant due to following factors; First, India’s drive to increase defence exports as part of indigenisation of defence production complements Vietnam’s requirement to diversify its defence procurements. In a bid to reduce dependence on defence imports, India has been focusing on indigenisation of defence production. The indigenisation is also aimed to make India a defence exporter.

Vietnam is one of the countries which India is exploring as a market for defence exports. During Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s visit to Vietnam in June 2022, India handed over 12 high-speed guard boats to Vietnam. For its part, Vietnam has been heavily dependent on Russia for procuring defence equipment. With the likelihood of the Russia-Ukraine war affecting the defence supplies, Vietnam has been looking to diversify its defence imports. India with its deep defence engagements is in an ideal position to allow Vietnam this diversification at least to some extent.

Second, while appreciating India’s role in Southeast Asia and supporting Act East Policy, Vietnam expects a more proactive approach from India. The acceleration in defence cooperation with Vietnam allows India to project its strategic capabilities as well as act as a stakeholder in the geopolitics of Southeast Asia.  

Third, defence cooperation with Vietnam adds strength to the ASEAN-centrism in India’s Indo-Pacific policy. India has shaped its approach to the Indo-Pacific Region maintaining engagements with the ASEAN as a central theme. China’s strategic rise and its assertive activities are constantly posing challenge to both India and Vietnam. The two countries also converge on shared vision on the Indo-Pacific Region, propositions of rules-based order, freedom of navigation and overflight and support to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) which form part of India’s Indo-Pacific policy.

Fourth, Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with India assumes greater importance for Vietnam in the present geopolitical circumstances. Apart from India, Vietnam has Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with only China and Russia. Territorial disputes with China and attempts to distance itself from Russia are pushing Vietnam to restrict its engagements with both these countries. It allows India and Vietnam to further diversify and deepen their ties apart from defence cooperation. Also the signing of the Joint Vision Statement on India-Vietnam Defence Partnership towards 2030, an agreement that spans almost a decade, by Vietnam is a rare occurrence in its foreign policy. Most of Vietnam’s bilateral agreements are for a period of five years or less. This agreement highlights the importance that Vietnam attaches to its defence partnership with India.

Both India and Vietnam have invested substantial diplomatic efforts into building up their defence cooperation. For Vietnam, defence ties with India allow diversification of its strategic engagements. The decades old defence cooperation with Vietnam has provided a strong base to India to manoeuvre through the current geopolitical flux caused by China’s assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific Region in general and Southeast Asia in particular.

Mr. Niranjan Marjani is a political analyst and researcher based in Vadodara, India.