India assures Vietnam of all help in military modernisation
Rajat Pandit | TNN | Nov 27, 2020, 21:39 IST
NEW DELHI: With an eye firmly on China, India has assured
Vietnam of all possible help in modernising its armed forces, including weapon supplies, training of its fighter pilots and submariners, and enhancing its maritime capabilities.
The two countries also decided to come out with a new five-year “joint vision statement” next year to build on the earlier one during talks between defence minister
Rajnath Singh and his counterpart General Ngo Xuan Lich through video-conferencing on Friday.
In the backdrop of defence cooperation being a vital component of the “comprehensive strategic partnership” between the two countries, which are wary of China’s aggressive behavior in the Asia-Pacific region, India has also earlier offered the BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles as well as the Akash surface-to-air missile defence systems to Vietnam, as was reported by TOI.
Officials on Friday said India “remains resolved to capability-building and enhancement” of the Vietnamese armed forces, in addition to extending Line of Credit arrangements to the country. “India sees Vietnam as a friendly foreign country with shared concerns and common interests,” said an official.
“Both countries are also looking at collaborating in multiple domains of defence cooperation like ship-building, surface and sub-surface capacities at sea. Joint training by pilots of the two air forces and training of forces to be deployed on UN assignments are another area of focus,” he added.
The two countries on Friday also inked an implementing arrangement for cooperation in the field of hydrography. The arrangement will enable sharing of hydrographic data and assist in the production of navigational charts by the two sides.
Underlining PM
Narendra Modi’s vision of “Atma Nirbhar Bharat” for enhancing self-reliance, including in defence industries, Singh said “a strong and self-reliant India shall positively contribute to capacity building of friendly partner countries” like Vietnam. He also urged for closer cooperation between the defence industries of the two countries by concluding an institutionalised framework agreement in the near future.
India News: NEW DELHI: With an eye firmly on China, India has assured Vietnam of all possible help in modernising its armed forces, including weapon supplies, tra.
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