India and Vietnam have had an economic and cultural interaction since the second century. In the contemporary era, relations between India and Vietnam have been governed by several areas of shared political and defense interests. India vehemently denounced the United States’ invasion of Vietnam and their use of cruelty in the guise of curbing the growth of communism in the country; India was also the only non-communist country to offer aid to Vietnam during the Cambodian-Vietnamese war.
In today’s world, India and Vietnam maintain a solid defense partnership in order to limit Chinese influence in the South China Sea region, which China claims as its own. Vietnam is an extremely significant country for India’s “Act East Policy” and “Indo-Pacific” outreach.
Last year, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited Hanoi, Vietnam, from June 8 to 10, with the objective of further strengthening India-Vietnam defense and maritime security cooperation. During his visit, Rajnath Singh presented Vietnam with 12 high-speed guard boards. Under India’s $100 million Defence Line of Credit, five of the boats were built in India, and the remainder in a Vietnamese shipyard.
During his visit, the Defence Minister discussed extensively with his Vietnamese counterpart, General Phan Van Giang, with the goal of exploring new measures to deepen defense partnerships, as well as exchanging views on regional and global matters of mutual importance. At the end of his visit, he invited his Vietnamese counterpart, General Phan Van Giang, to visit India. He is visiting India from June 18 to 20 as a result of that invitation.
To demonstrate its solidarity and friendship with Vietnam, India gifted the in-service missile corvette “INS Kirpan” to Vietnam in order to strengthen that country’s naval capabilities. After bilateral conversations with his visiting Vietnamese counterpart, General Phan Van Gang, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh stated this on June 19.