India and Vietnam relations

In News: India and Vietnam signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on mutual logistics support

• Also signed the ‘Joint Vision Statement on India-Vietnam Defence Partnership towards 2030’, which will significantly enhance the scope and scale of existing defence cooperation
• And agreed for early finalization of $US 500 million Defence Line of Credit extended to Vietnam

What are Logistics agreements?

• Logistics agreements are administrative arrangements facilitating access to military facilities for exchange of fuel and provisions on mutual agreement simplifying logistical support and increasing operational turnaround of the military when operating away from India.

India- Vietnam Relations

• Relations between India and Vietnam have been governed by several areas of shared political interests.

Areas of Cooperation:

Economic ties:

• India is now the 8 th largest trading partner of Vietnam.
• Vietnam is the 4th largest trading partner of India among ASEAN countries
• Vietnam is also the second largest export destination for India after Singapore in the ASEAN region.
• India is investing in development and capacity assistance for Vietnam through quick impact projects (QIP), proposals in the area of water resource management in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta region, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and digital connectivity.

Defence Cooperation:

• The relations between the two countries especially defence ties, benefited extensively from India’s Look East policy.
• Vietnam is interested in India’s Akash surface-to-air systems and Dhruv advanced light helicopters and Brahmos missiles.
• Apart from this, the defence relations include capacity building, dealing with common security concerns, training of personnel, and cooperation in defence R&D.
• Both countries reaffirm the strong India-Vietnam Defence cooperation which is a key pillar of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Strategic partnership:

• Bilateral relations were upgraded to a “Strategic Partnership” in 2017, and upgraded to a “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership” in 2016
• Cooperation in the UN Security Council has been exemplary. The shared respect for international law, including UNCLOS 1982, and a rules-based order is a strong commonality.

Cooperation at Multiple Fora:

• India and Vietnam closely cooperate in various regional forums such as East Asia Summit, Mekong Ganga Cooperation, Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM), and UNSC.

Tourism:

• Around 169,000 Indians visited Vietnam and over 31,000 Vietnamese visited India in 2019, recording a growth of 28% and 32% over 2018 respectively.
• India is a favored spiritual destination for many Vietnamese because it is home to many famous Buddhist temples

China factor:

• Both countries have border problems with China.
• China aggressively continues to encroach in the territories of the two countries.
• Hence, it is natural for both the countries to come closer with a view to restrain China from its aggressive actions.

Way Forward

• Mutual Co-ordination and Co-operation: Considering the unique challenges of Indo-Pacific region, both the countries should work in close coordination at multiple forums
• Promoting Common areas: India and Vietnam both can mutually benefit each other in the arena of Blue Economy and ocean security.
• Providing financial resources, improving connectivity and establishing good relations in the region, helps both the country to fight Chinese presence in the region

Source: The Hindu