Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has urged the Vietnamese and Indian defence ministries to step up their cooperation in traditional areas while expanding the affiliation in new spheres, especially training young officers.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) and Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrika.

At a reception for Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrika in Hanoi on June 6, the Government leader hailed the fruitful bilateral defence ties, which have been evidenced through regular exchanges of all-level delegations, and by their partnerships in the national defence industry and personnel training – gearing towards the establishment of a ministerial-level dialogue mechanism.

Applauding the outcomes of the talks between Minister Manohar Parrika and his Vietnamese counterpart Ngo Xuan Lich, the host noted his hope that the Indian minister’s visit will contribute to the time-honoured relationship between the two countries as well as the affiliation between their armed forces.

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc highly appreciated Manohar Parrika’s speech delivered at the recent Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore and affirmed the Vietnamese Government’s backing of Indian’s Look East policy.

He highlighted the strategic partnership between Vietnam and India which has thrived across many fields, including national defence.

Vietnam and India share similarities in culture and history, he said, adding that the two countries also hold diverse potential for cooperation in politics, economy, culture and national defence.

The PM asked the minister to convey his invitation to Indian PM Narendra Modi to pay an official visit to Vietnam.

For his part, Manohar Parrika said the Indian Government always treasures and wishes to boost all-round cooperation with Vietnam.

The guest displayed his belief that the friendship and collaboration between the two countries and the defence ties in particular will grow stronger in the time ahead, for peace and prosperity in the region and the world at large.

Indian defence chief vows to back business affiliation with Vietnam

Visiting Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrika has pledged to create the best conditions for Indian defence industry firms to cooperate with their Vietnamese peers.

In a meeting with defence industry businesses of Vietnam in Hanoi on June 6, the Indian defence chief said the partnership is also an important part in defence ties between the two countries.

Meanwhile, Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh, Deputy Defence Minister, underlined that during the country’s international integration, Vietnam wishes to work with India to open up intensive cooperation space for development by creating a favourable environment for enterprises, including those in the defence industry, to seek opportunities to invest in each country.

He stressed the significance of the meeting amidst the growing ties between the two countries, including defence affiliation.

The meeting was part of the two defence ministries’ commitment to strengthening dialogue and build mechanisms for businesses to develop Vietnam-India defence relations.

During the meeting, businesses of both sides also introduced their strengths to each other.

VNA