Defence Minister General Ngo Xuan Lich held talks with his Indian counterpart Nirmala Sitharaman in Hanoi on June 13 during the latter’s official visit to Vietnam from June 12-15. 

Defence Minister General Ngo Xuan Lich (L) and his Indian counterpart Nirmala Sitharaman review the guard of honour in Hanoi on June 13

Minister Lich said the visit will contribute to strengthening the traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and India and promoting bilateral defence collaboration in particular for the benefit of each country’s people and for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world. 

Reviewing bilateral defence partnership over the past years, both sides reached consensus on measures to boost their ties in the near future. 

They underscored the importance of maintaining existing cooperation mechanisms such as deputy ministerial-level defence policy dialogue, meetings of the Joint Working Group on bilateral defence cooperation, and consultations between Vietnamese and Indian officers of naval, land and air forces.

Host and guest looked into the partnership between the two countries’ military forces, and cooperation in personnel training, defence industry, strategic research, post-war recovery and the United Nations peacekeeping mission. 

They also discussed regional and global issues of shared concern. 

During the stay, the Indian Defence Minister will attend the fourth Vietnam – India Defence Industry Business Meeting and visit several units of the Vietnam People’s Army.-VNA