Indian Defense Minister visits Vietnam

Defense Minister, General Ngo Xuan Lich (R) receives his Indian counterpart Nirmala Sitharaman.

On the morning of June 13, after the reception for the Indian defense minister hosted by General Ngo Xuan Lich at the headquarters of the Ministry of National Defense, the two sides held talks.

At the talks, Minister Ngo Xuan Lich expressed his pleasure at receiving Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and the high-ranking delegation from India. He affirmed the significance of the visit, saying that  it would contribute to strengthening the traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and India in general and the bilateral defense cooperation in particular, for the sakes of the two peoples and peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.

Minister Ngo Xuan Lich held that this was the third time in less than a year that he had met Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and at all the meetings and exchanges the Vietnamese official always received warm sentiments from the Indian friends. Minister Lich congratulated India on the country’s recent significant achievements and affirmed the consistent policy of Vietnam which always pays respect and high priorities to the Vietnam-India traditional relationship and comprehensive strategic partnership. The host stressed that Vietnam advocates the “Act East” policy of India.

For her part, Indian Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman thanked the host for the warm reception and expressed her joy when she had chance to visit Vietnam this time.

Vietnamese and Indian Defense Ministers review the guards of honor of the Vietnam People's Army.

The two sides then discussed regional and global issues of shared concern, reviewed the recent results of bilateral defense cooperation and agreed on the direction and measures to boost defense cooperation in the coming time. The two ministers stressed the need to continue the existing cooperation mechanisms like the Deputy-Ministerial level dialogue, consultations for officers of the Army, Navy, and Air Force service. They discussed cooperation areas between arms and services, training, defense industry, strategic research, war consequence relief and UN peacekeeping operations.

During the visit, the Indian delegation will pay a courtesy call to the State President of Vietnam Tran Dai Quang, join the fourth Vietnam-India defense businesses meeting and pay field trips to a number of units of the Vietnam People’s Army.

Translated by Huu Duong