Viet Nam, India reinforce bilateral defense cooperation

Phan appreciated the Indian Defense Ministry's effective support for Viet Nam in improving the quality of training at military academies and provision of a non-refundable aid package worth US$1 million to build foreign-language classrooms at the Air Force Officer Training School as well as other preferential credit packages.

Looking foward to the future, he suggested the two sides focus on maintaining delegation exchanges at all levels and annual cooperation mechanisms to strengthen political trust, deepen bilateral defense cooperation and fostering collaboration in training and education.

Based on the Letter of Intent to strengthen collaboration in training signed in 2024, Phan expressed his hope that India would increase scholarships to Vietnamese military officers.

The host called on the two sides to promote cooperation between their military services and branches, defense industry, United Nations peacekeeping operations, cybersecurity, military medicine, search and rescue, and support each other at international multilateral forums.

He took the occasion to invite leaders of Indian Ministry of Defense and defense industry enterprises to attend and showcase products at the third Viet Nam International Defense Expo, scheduled to take place in December this year.

Viet Nam consistently pursues a foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation, and development, as well as the diversification and multilateralization of external relations, Phan assured.

Viet Nam stands ready to work with countries and international organizations for peace, cooperation, and development, he stated.

Phan affirmed that Viet Nam remains steadfast with its "Four No's" defense policy and advocates the resolution of all disputes and disagreements in the East Sea via peaceful means on the basis of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). He said Viet Nam hopes for the early conclusion of negotiations and signing of a substantive, effective, and efficient Code of Conduct in the East Sea.

Singh, for his part, emphasized that both nations share a friendly relationship founded on the pillars of defense cooperation and mutual trust.

He hailed the positive results achieved in the bilateral defense cooperation in recent years, noting that these achievements reflect the high level of trust between the two sides and contribute to the development of strong defense ties for mutual benefit and future-oriented cooperation.

He expected that in the coming period, the two sides would continue working closely and effectively implementing the agreed areas of cooperation, with a focus on all-level delegation exchanges, cooperation in education and training, capacity building, and collaboration among military services and branches.

The Indian Ministry of Defense is willing to provide training scholarships for Viet Nam's Ministry of National Defense, thereby helping to promote substantive, effective, and in-depth bilateral defense cooperation commensurate with the Viet Nam–India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, asserted the minister.

Following the talks, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of National Defense Phan Van Giang  and Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh cut the ribbon to inaugurate the foreign-language classroom facility at the Air Force Officer Training School, funded by the Government of India, and witnessed the signing ceremony of a cooperation agreement between Viet Nam's Telecommunications University and India's Military College of Telecommunication Engineering./.