India-Vietnam Ties On An Upward Swing

In a move to further strengthen India-Vietnam ties, Kirti Vardhan Singh, Minister of State for External Affairs and Environment, Forest & Climate Change, visited Vietnam from February 24-27, 2025.

- RAHUL MISHRA

His timely visit comes at a time when both India and Vietnam are trying to navigate a rather fluid Indo-Pacific strategic dynamics, further complicated by the intensifying US-China rivalry and the Trump administration's announcement of imposing tariffs on China, Mexico, and Canada. India and Vietnam, among other Indo-Pacific countries, are also likely to face challenges thrown by the Trump administration on the tariff and multilateral trade front.

During his visit, Minister Singh held a wide range of discussions with Vietnamese leaders on the sidelines of the second ASEAN Future Forum (AFF) in Hanoi on February 25. The importance of AFF lies in the fact that it serves as a critical policy-oriented platform for ASEAN's formal organizational and policy discussion mechanisms and meetings, encouraging the collaborative involvement of governments, the corporate sector, civil society, businesses, and citizens, thereby attempting to furnish a combined whole-of-government understanding on matters that matter the most to ASEAN and its dialogue partners.

The India-Vietnam relationship, rooted in historical affinities and cultural interactions, has evolved into one of the key security partnerships in the Indo-Pacific. Since establishing a "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership" (CSP) in 2016, bilateral cooperation has expanded across multiple sectors, including defence, trade, and multilateral coordination. During the interaction, Vietnam's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son underscored the importance of the CSP and its contribution in strengthening the bilateral ties. While the dynamics of this partnership are undoubtedly shaped by shifting geopolitical currents, particularly China's growing assertiveness and the evolving role of the United States in the region, Delhi-Hanoi ties stand on their time-tested merit.

STRATEGIC IMPERATIVES AND SECURITY CHALLENGES