India, Vietnam to strengthen defence ties

[Indo-guy]

India, Vietnam to strengthen defence ties - The Hindu



The two countries are now considering joining hands in maintenance and co-production

: India and Vietnam will be on the road to further consolidate their defence ties, with the addition of a fourth pillar, by the time Vietnamese Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong visits the country next month, said diplomatic sources.

Security ties between the two countries have always been close but they began accelerating in the field of defence two years ago when the Chinese objected to Vietnam inviting India to prospect for oil in a contested portion of the South China Sea.

Since then New Delhi has overcome its own inhibitions and agreed to partner with Vietnam in areas of submarine and fighter aircraft training and transfer of medium-sized warships. It helped that Russia supplied those submarines and fighters, both especially oriented for maritime warfare, as well as frigates.

Given the commonality of the equipment, India and Vietnam are now considering joining hands in maintenance and co-production.

Frequent interactions at the levels of Union Ministers, high ranking Vietnamese Communist Party leaders, senior officials, service chiefs and even businessmen, have helped provide a ballast to India-Vietnamese ties.

The two sides cooperate with each other in the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) where Vietnam is a member and India an observer.

Trade ties have grown modestly since India operationalised the goods portion of the Free Trade Agreement with ASEAN, and could expand further when the services and investment aspects come into play next year.

After being a net provider in defence know-how, India will be seeking to learn from Vietnam’s experience with the U.S.-led Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP).

Vietnam could also be counted upon for political assistance in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RECP) negotiations launched by ASEAN and its FTA partners in Phnom Penh last year.

The two countries have also been making gestures signalling proximity. Indian warships visited Nha Trang port, located near the strategic Cam Ranh Bay, and Politburo members of Vietnam’s Communist Party have regularly held consultations with top Indian leadership.

Earlier this year, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid, with Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minhby his side, reiterated India’s commitment to continue collaboration with Vietnam in oil exploration in the disputed Phu Kanh Basin, to which China has also laid claim.

 

[kaykay]

way to go....!

 

[Indo-guy]

way to go....!

Vietnam seeks greater defence cooperation - The New Indian Express


Vietnam seeks greater defence cooperation




By Express News Service - NEW DELHI

Published: 25th September 2013 08:44 AM

Last Updated: 25th September 2013 08:44 AM



With China nibbling at its maritime borders in the South China Sea, Vietnam on Tuesday sought to enhance its military cooperation with India, which has investments in oil exploration blocks in Hanoi’s backyard.

Vietnam’s Vice Minister of National Defence and Chief of General Staff Senior Lieutenant General Da Ba Ty, who arrived here on Monday, met India’s defence leaders and discussed regional security and military-to-military cooperation.

Heading a 14-member delegation, Ty met Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal N A K Browne, who is also the chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, Defence Secretary R K Mathur and Integrated Defence Staff chief Lt Gen Anil Chait.

“The meeting saw issues such as enhanced defence cooperation, capacity building, joint projects and training being discussed, besides a review of the growing Vietnam-India defence relationship,” a release from the Ministry of Defence said.

India and Vietnam already enjoy robust defence ties, with the former’s Naval warships frequenting the South China Sea and Vietnamese ports to provide security to the Indian interests there.

Vietnam, which in recent years bought six Russian-made Kilo class submarines and Sukhoi combat jets, has sought Indian help in training its armed forces on these war-fighting machines. India has vast experience in operating Russian-made equipment, these two platforms in particular.

 

[Indo-guy]

VIETNAM: Chief of General Staff visits India in September 2013: | South Asia Analysis Group


Paper No. 5569 Dated 28-Sep-2013

By Dr Subhash Kapila

In manifestation of the growing Vietnam-India strategic and defence ties, the Vietnamese Chief of General Staff of Vietnam Peoples Army, Senior Lieutenant General Do Bo Tuy visited India from September 24-27 2013. He led a 14 member military delegation to visit India.

During his visit to New Delhi the Vietnamese General had discussions with the Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee, Air Chief Marshal N A K Browne on the reinforcing of existing defence ties between India and Vietnam. During this meeting it was emphasised that Vietnam was India’s most significant strategic partner in South East Asia.

The Vietnamese General also had discussions with the Indian Army Chief of Army Staff, Chief of the Integrated Defence Staff and the Vice Chief of Naval Staff.

The scheduled meetings with the Indian Defence Minister and Indian National Security Adviser could not take place as the former was hospitalised and the latter was leaving for Washington along with the Indian Prime Minister.

However a meeting with the Secretary Ministry of Defence took place.

The Vietnamese Army Chief of General Staff visited two important military installations during his visit to India following his discussions in New Delhi with the Indian military hierarchy. These were to the Indian Air Force Base at Hindon in the vicinity of New Delhi and to Headquarters of Indian Navy Eastern Naval Command at Vishakhapatnam and Indian naval combat assets located there.

The Indian Air Force newly acquired strategic force projection assets in terms of transport aircraft like the US C-130Js and the US C-17 giant Globemaster are located at Hindon. The Vietnamese Armed Forces Chief would have gained first hand exposure to India’s aerial capabilities in this dimension.

The visit of the Vietnamese Army Chief of General Staff to the Indian Navy Headquarters Eastern Naval Command is more significant. It needs to be recalled that India’s Headquarters Eastern Naval Command is operationally tasked for responsibilities of securing India’s maritime interests in the Indo-Pacific Region. In naval terms the Indo Pacific Region needs to be taken as Eastern Indian Ocean and Western Pacific. The latter includes the South China Sea which is of critical security concern to Vietnam in the context of escalation of South China Sea disputes by China.

Stressed many times over in my past papers are the imperatives of reinforcing and adding more firm contours to the Vietnam-India Strategic Partnership. India needs to play a significant role in the capacity-building of the Vietnamese Armed Forces, especially of the Vietnamese Navy and the Vietnamese Air Force.

Vietnam and India have serious border disputes with China and both are victims of Chinese military provocations. Strategic convergences should therefore be a natural outcome to bind Vietnam and India. The Vietnam-India Strategic Partnership cannot be in bondage to India’s ultra-sensitivity to China’s strategic concerns.

On the side-lines of his defence visits and discussions in India, the Vietnamese General paid a visit to Bodh Gaya. India’s Buddhist spiritual and cultural ties with South East Asian countries are an additional bond to forge strong ties with South East Asia.

 

[Indo-guy]

http://www.icwa.in/pdfs/SPHVietnamindia.pdf

 

[Raje amar]

We must have friend's and allies. In today's world no one is friend or foe permanently just national interests matters the most.

 

[Tshering22]

We must have friend's and allies. In today's world no one is friend or foe permanently just national interests matters the most.

Vietnam then is the most viable partner in the region.

It is a growing economy and a unique one among communist countries that is slowly moving towards rapid 'state capitalism' concept without having CCP's arrogance.

Whether it is in terms of defence or commercial ties, we must start focusing on increased trade with ASEAN countries, particularly with continental ASEAN countries. South Asia in itself has become a problem particularly countries in our extreme east and northwest, which makes it even more crucial for us to reduce trade with such hostile states and instead slowly replace them with friendlier and culturally similar southeastern countries that don't harbour any hostility towards our country.

 

[Raje amar]

We all know they India has its look east policy in place. But we move very slow in implementing the policy. We are also trying to get entry in ASEAN.

 

[Karasonmuno]

And would another Southeast Asian nation join Vietnam in this? China has strong economic influence with ASEAN, more so than India.

 

[Tshering22]

And would another Southeast Asian nation join Vietnam in this? China has strong economic influence with ASEAN, more so than India.

The point is, what these countries want. Not what you want.

Same thing you had said about Myanmar, who shut down your dam project and redirect its air contracts to Russia despite your lower pricing point.

At the end of the day, a country has to do what a country needs to do. That's where the buck stops for any influencing country.