Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s State Visit to India: Strengthening Bilateral Ties and Strategic Partnership
Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s upcoming visit to India is set to highlight Vietnam’s significance in the Indo-Pacific region. The state visit, scheduled from July 30 to August 1, 2024, will focus on strengthening bilateral ties between Vietnam and India, particularly in defence cooperation and economic collaboration.
Accompanied by a high-level delegation, including ministers, deputy ministers, and business leaders, Prime Minister Chinh’s visit comes at the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The visit will kick off with a ceremonial welcome at the Forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan, followed by a visit to Raj Ghat to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi. Prime Minister Chinh will engage in bilateral discussions with Prime Minister Modi and meet with other high-ranking officials, reflecting the importance of this diplomatic engagement.
India and Vietnam have been working to deepen their defence ties, with India recently gifting a fully operational warship to the Vietnam People’s Navy. The two countries are exploring opportunities for collaboration in areas such as maritime security, defence industry cooperation, and joint production. This partnership aligns with India’s Act East Policy, which aims to strengthen ties with Southeast Asian countries like Vietnam in the Indo-Pacific region.
The visit also highlights the historical and recent developments in the India-Vietnam relationship, which was elevated to a “comprehensive strategic partnership” in 2016. Defence cooperation has been a key aspect of this partnership, with discussions ongoing about Vietnam potentially acquiring advanced Indian weaponry like the BrahMos supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles.
Overall, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s visit to India underscores the strong and growing relationship between the two countries. It is expected to pave the way for further cooperation in defence, trade, and regional security, emphasizing Vietnam’s role as an important partner in India’s Act East Policy and the Indo-Pacific strategy.
