Summary of this article
Rajnath Singh began a visit to Vietnam and South Korea focused on defence and maritime cooperation.
India aims to strengthen strategic ties in the Indo-Pacific through military and industrial partnerships.
The trip follows recent efforts to deepen engagement with both Hanoi and Seoul on regional security and supply-chain resilience.
On Monday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh began a multi-state visit to Vietnam and South Korea aimed at enhancing strategic military cooperation, defense industrial partnerships, and boosting maritime collaboration while also promoting peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.
The minister will land in Hanoi today where he is scheduled to meet his Vietnamese counterpart General Phan Van Giang.
In a post on X, Singh said, "Today, 18th May, I shall be reaching Hanoi. Looking forward to visiting Vietnam and South Korea this week to further expand the scope of our engagement."
"I will focus on deepening strategic military cooperation, strengthening defence industrial partnerships, and boosting maritime collaboration, promoting peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region," he added.
India-Vietnam Strategic Ties
The visit comes merely weeks after Vietnamese President To Lam’s visit to India where India-Vietnam defence and security cooperation was reaffirmed.
As per the joint statement issued during To Lam’s visit on May 6 both nations agreed on closer cooperation in fields such as economy, defence, science and technology, maritime security and tourism.
India and Vietnam also reviewed the implementation of bilateral defence agreements while agreeing to enhance naval and air force agreements.
The stability of the Indo-Pacific region was one of the top agendas during Lam’s visit and would remain so for Singh’s visit to Hanoi.
Vietnam is an emerging regional power and a closer relationship with Hanoi is closely aligned with PM Modi’s ‘Act East Policy’.
Strategic Relationship with South Korea
Following his visit to Hanoi, Singh will embark for Seoul to hold talks with South Korean Minister of National Defence Ahn Gyu-back. The agenda for the meeting includes a review of defence cooperation and a strengthening of bilateral engagements between the two countries.
South Korea’s ‘Indo-Pacific Strategy’ aligns naturally with the Indian ‘Act East Policy’ which opens the door for a much closer cooperation between the two nations.
The two countries had also recently announced the launch of an Economic Security Dialogue aimed at strengthening supply chains, promoting diversification and advancing cooperation in critical technologies.
