Viet Nam, India hold military exercise VINBAX 2024

Vietnamese Ambassador to India Nguyen Thanh Hai and Kharga Corps Commander Lieutenant General Rajesh Pushkar co-chaired the opening ceremony of this year's VINBAX.

The ceremony was also attended by Viet Nam's Defense Attaché to India, Colonel Trinh Ngoc Dai; Commander of the Training Center, Viet Nam Department of Peacekeeping Operations, Colonel Luu Dinh Hien; Commander of Brigade 474 - Brigadier General Sumit Kapoor, along with officers from both sides.

In his opening remarks, Lieutenant General Rajesh Pushkar highlighted the long-standing historical, cultural, and civilizational links, as well as the current comprehensive strategic partnership between India and Viet Nam.

He emphasized that defense cooperation is a crucial pillar in the India-Viet Nam comprehensive strategic partnership.

The signing of the Joint Vision Statement on Defense Partnership towards 2030 and the Memorandum of Understanding on Mutual Logistics Support underscores both countries' growing importance in the Indo-Pacific region and ASEAN.

He stressed that VINBAX aims to enhance cooperation in peacekeeping operations, promote understanding, and develop the capabilities of both countries’ armed forces in contributing to international peace and security. 

The exercise also reflects both countries’ commitment to working together to address global challenges and foster regional stability.

Ambassador Nguyen Thanh Hai emphasized that both Viet Nam and India are peace-loving nations striving to contribute meaningfully to promoting peace and stability in the region and worldwide.

Besides professional activities, VINBAX 2024 allows military personnel from both sides to interact and learn about each other's cultural, social, and traditional heritage values, said the diplomat.

Regarding the exercise content, Colonel Luu Dinh Hien noted that VINBAX has continuously expanded, evolving from the first table-top exercise in 2018 to a field exercise in 2022, and from deploying medical and technical units in UN missions to incorporating air force components and unmanned aerial vehicles in VINBAX-2024.

 VINBAX 2024, themed "Deployment and Utilization of Engineering and Medical Teams in UN Peacekeeping Forces to Build and Promote Positive Military Relations," is scheduled to continue until November 23./.