Rajnath Singh Embarks on Vietnam, South Korea Visit to Deepen Indo-Pacific Defence Cooperation
Focus on military partnerships, maritime collaboration and defence industry ties amid evolving regional security dynamics
Before his departure, Rajnath Singh said in a post on X that the visit would further deepen India’s strategic engagement with both countries while promoting peace, stability, and rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific.
New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday embarked on a five-day official visit to Vietnam and South Korea aimed at expanding India’s strategic defence engagement in the Indo-Pacific region.
The visit, scheduled from May 18 to 21, is expected to focus on strengthening military cooperation, enhancing defence industrial partnerships, and boosting maritime collaboration with the two Asian nations.
Before his departure, Rajnath Singh said in a post on X that the visit would further deepen India’s strategic engagement with both countries while promoting peace, stability, and rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific.
The defence minister will first visit Vietnam from May 18 to 19, coinciding with the 10th anniversary of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between India and Vietnam, which was recently elevated to an Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during the visit of the Vietnamese President to India earlier this month.
During the Vietnam leg of the tour, Rajnath Singh is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Vietnamese Minister of National Defence Phan Van Giang to review ongoing defence cooperation and discuss new areas of strategic collaboration.
India and Vietnam have steadily expanded defence ties over the past decade, particularly in maritime security, naval cooperation, training, defence manufacturing, and capacity building.
A major milestone in bilateral defence relations was the signing of the “Joint Vision Statement on India-Vietnam Defence Partnership towards 2030” during Rajnath Singh’s previous visit to Vietnam in 2022.
The two countries have also increased cooperation in the South China Sea region, where both support freedom of navigation and adherence to international maritime law.
Rajnath Singh’s visit to Vietnam also coincides with the 136th birth anniversary of former Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh. He is scheduled to lay a wreath at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi as a mark of tribute.
Following the Vietnam visit, the defence minister will travel to South Korea from May 19 to 21 for high-level meetings focused on defence technology, industrial cooperation, and regional security.
In Seoul, Rajnath Singh will hold talks with South Korean Minister of National Defence Ahn Gyu-back to review bilateral defence ties and explore new initiatives aimed at strengthening military and strategic cooperation.
He is also expected to meet Defence Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) Minister Lee Yong-cheol and chair the India-Korea business roundtable involving defence and industrial stakeholders from both countries.
India and South Korea have significantly expanded cooperation in defence manufacturing, shipbuilding, aerospace, electronics, and emerging technologies in recent years.
The visit also carries historical significance as India and South Korea commemorate India’s humanitarian contribution during the Korean War.
India had deployed the 60 Parachute Field Ambulance unit of the Indian Army during the war, which treated more than two lakh patients and conducted thousands of surgeries over three years.
India also chaired the Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission under a United Nations mandate following the war.
To honour Indian soldiers who served during the conflict, Rajnath Singh and South Korean Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Kwon Oh-eul are scheduled to jointly inaugurate the Indian War Memorial on May 21.
The visit comes amid intensifying geopolitical competition in the Indo-Pacific and increasing strategic convergence among regional democracies on issues relating to maritime security, supply chains, and defence resilience.
Officials said the natural alignment between India’s “Act East Policy” and South Korea’s Indo-Pacific Strategy is creating new opportunities for deeper strategic and economic cooperation between the two countries.
