NSA Doval meets Vietnam leadership to strengthen strategic, defence ties

Ajit Doval’s visit focused on strengthening India-Vietnam ties across defence, security and the wider strategic partnership. He met Vietnam’s deputy prime minister and defence minister, Gen Phan Van Giang, and reviewed bilateral defence cooperation. Both sides agreed to deepen engagement in this area. The discussions mattered because defence has become a major pillar of the countries’ enhanced comprehensive strategic partnership.

Doval also held delegation-level talks with Gen Luong Tam Quang, Vietnam’s minister of public security. They discussed security cooperation, regional and global developments, and agreed to enhance existing multifaceted ties. With Phan, Doval discussed the importance of reliable partnerships in a fast-changing world. Phan urged India to continue supporting defence cooperation.

The relationship is set to broaden further. Phan invited India’s defence ministry and defence companies to display products at Vietnam’s International Defence Expo in December. Doval also met Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung about commemorating 55 years of diplomatic ties in 2027.

An enhanced comprehensive strategic partnership is a formal framework for cooperation across many important areas, not just diplomatic communication. It normally signals that two countries want closer coordination in defence, security, trade, technology and international affairs. The article does not provide a legal definition, but it presents the partnership as a stronger stage in India-Vietnam relations.

The difference from ordinary diplomatic relations is practical depth. India and Vietnam maintain diplomatic ties, but their enhanced partnership gives defence cooperation a central role. Leaders also discuss security, economic goals, regional developments and long-term diplomatic milestones. Vietnam’s side described the relationship through “shared vision, strategic convergence, substantive cooperation.”

The upgrade already has clear consequences. Vietnam’s president, To Lam, visited India in May when the ties were elevated. The two countries set a trade goal for 2030, expanded defence discussions and planned further participation by Indian defence companies in Vietnam’s international expo.

India and Vietnam currently conduct about $16 billion in two-way trade. Their stated goal is to raise that figure to $25 billion by 2030. The target shows that the enhanced comprehensive strategic partnership is not limited to defence or diplomacy. It also includes a substantial economic ambition.

Two-way trade means the value of goods and commercial exchanges moving between both countries. The article does not break the $16 billion figure into exports, imports or individual sectors. It presents the total as the current level and identifies $25 billion as the shared target. The increase would be roughly $9 billion compared with today’s figure.

The trade objective sits alongside expanding security ties. During Doval’s visit, leaders reviewed defence cooperation, security coordination and regional developments. India was also invited to showcase defence products at Vietnam’s International Defence Expo. Together, these steps suggest that both countries want stronger economic and strategic links by 2030.

Defence has become a major part of India-Vietnam relations because both countries share concerns about China’s increasing assertiveness. The article highlights the South China Sea as a particularly sensitive area. It also notes that Indian and Vietnamese companies are engaged in oil exploration there, giving maritime security an economic dimension.

This shared concern encourages both countries to build stronger defence links. Cooperation can provide a way to improve consultations, defence capabilities and preparedness without limiting the relationship to commercial activity. During Doval’s visit, Gen Phan Van Giang called defence cooperation a key pillar of the enhanced partnership. The two sides agreed to deepen engagement in this domain.

The relationship is already moving beyond discussions. Vietnam is set to become the third Southeast Asian country, after the Philippines and Indonesia, to acquire India’s BrahMos cruise missile system. India was also invited to present defence products at Vietnam’s December expo. These steps point to continuing strategic coordination.

BrahMos is a supersonic cruise missile system developed by India and Russia. Cruise missiles are guided weapons that fly toward targets rather than following a simple ballistic path. The article does not describe BrahMos’s technical specifications, but it identifies Vietnam as a future Southeast Asian buyer of the system from India.

Vietnam’s acquisition would matter because it would turn defence cooperation into a major capability partnership. Purchasing the system could improve Vietnam’s ability to deter or respond to threats involving maritime areas. It would also create deeper links through training, maintenance, delivery and long-term defence coordination. These mechanisms are general implications of such a defence purchase, not details stated in the article.

The strategic setting is the South China Sea, where both countries share concerns about China’s increasing assertiveness and Indian and Vietnamese firms conduct oil exploration. Vietnam would be the third Southeast Asian country, after the Philippines and Indonesia, set to acquire BrahMos.

Deeper defence cooperation could help India and Vietnam respond more effectively to shared regional security concerns. It could improve political coordination, military dialogue and access to defence equipment. The article connects this cooperation to China’s increasing assertiveness, especially in the South China Sea. It therefore gives the partnership a clear security purpose.

A concrete example is Vietnam’s planned acquisition of India’s BrahMos cruise missile system. Defence purchases can create lasting links through delivery, training, maintenance and regular communication. India’s defence ministry and defence companies were also invited to Vietnam’s International Defence Expo. These activities could make cooperation more practical and visible. The article itself does not specify deployment plans or operational effects.

The likely implication is a broader India-Vietnam strategic partnership. Defence would remain connected to trade, public security and regional discussions rather than stand alone. Both sides have already agreed to deepen engagement, while Doval stressed the value of trustworthy partners for national development and autonomy in a fast-changing world.

Countries seek trusted partners because cooperation can strengthen national development and autonomy. Partners can support trade, security, technology, diplomatic coordination and access to equipment. At the same time, working with more than one reliable country can help governments protect their ability to make independent decisions. The article presents this idea through Doval’s remarks about a fast-changing world.

India and Vietnam provide a concrete example. Their partnership combines defence cooperation, trade, public-security ties and discussions about regional and global developments. Vietnam asked India to continue advancing defence cooperation, while the two countries set a goal of increasing two-way trade from about $16 billion to $25 billion by 2030. These links support both security and economic priorities.

The broader implication is resilience through purposeful partnerships. India and Vietnam have elevated their relationship and describe it through shared vision, strategic convergence and substantive cooperation. Their planned defence engagement and trade target show how autonomy can be pursued through cooperation rather than isolation.