Rajnath Singh visits Vietnam and South Korea to boost defense ties

Defence minister Rajnath Singh, who is on a two-nation tour to boost defence cooperation, landed in Vietnam capital Hanoi on Monday. Before leaving for Hanoi, Rajnath posted on X, “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, boosting maritime collaboration and promoting peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.” In Hanoi, Rajnath will hold bilateral talks with minister of national defence of Vietnam General Phan Van Giang. Rajnath’s visit comes shortly after the state visit of Vietnam President To Lam to New Delhi, signalling growing momentum in defence ties. The BrahMos missile system is expected to figure prominently in the talks as Vietnam had shown interest in buying the cruise missiles during To Lam’s India visit. Rajnath’s visit coincides with the 136th birth anniversary of former president of Vietnam Ho Chi Minh on May 19. In South Korea, the defence minister will hold bilateral talks with minister of national defence Ahn Gyu-back. The ministers will review defence cooperation between the two countries and explore new initiatives to strengthen bilateral engagements. He will also meet minister of defence acquisition program administration (DAPA) Lee, Yong-cheol and chair India-Korea business roundtable, according to a release. A joint inauguration of the Indian War Memorial with minister of patriots and veterans affairs Kwon Oh-eul has been scheduled for May 21.