India and Vietnam have decided to further boost their defence cooperation after NSA Ajit Doval met senior defence leadership of Vietnam on Tuesday. The two sides reviewed ongoing bilateral defence engagements and ways and means of deepening cooperation in defence sector.
As per a post shared by Embassy of India in Vietnam Ajit Doval met General Phan Van Giang, Politburo member of the Central Committee of Communist Party of Vietnam; Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence of Vietnam.
The meeting took place on November 2, 2026 and both sides reviewed progress on their existing defence cooperation and agreed to deepen engagement in this area of bilateral relations.
The meeting underscores how much India and Vietnam value their strategic partnership in defence and security. Both countries have had regular high-level exchanges and cooperation on many areas but defence is still an important element of that relationship.
India and Vietnam have had a long-standing partnership based on mutual interests, regional stability and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. Defence relationship has developed through discussions, military exchanges, training programmes and cooperation between their armed forces.
Vietnam is important to India in Southeast Asia. Ties with Hanoi also fit into New Delhi’s Act East Policy of engagement with countries in the region. Vietnam has continued to build partnerships with countries that support regional peace, stability and respect for international law.
Defence cooperation between the two countries has become important in changing regional security environment as both nations are interested in stability in Indo-Pacific and want regional challenges to be solved through dialogue and cooperation.
Embassy of India in Vietnam tweets, "NSA Ajit Doval met General Phan Van Giang, Politburo Member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence of Viet Nam, today. They reviewed ongoing bilateral defence cooperation and agreed to further deepen engagements in this domain."
— ANI (@ANI) November 2, 2026
Ajit Doval’s meeting with General Phan Van Giang gives both sides another opportunity to review commitments and areas where cooperation can be expanded.
The Embassy statement did not announce specific new defence agreements but the decision to deepen engagements showed momentum in bilateral defence relations was continuing.
The meeting also demonstrates how high-level diplomatic and security discussions are essential to strong partnerships between countries. Regular exchanges between senior officials allow both sides to see progress, address emerging issues and find ways for closer cooperation.
India and Vietnam have broadened their engagement beyond purely diplomatic relations over time; defence and security are important aspects of their relationship more broadly.
The latest meeting between Ajit Doval and General Phan Van Giang signals New Delhi and Hanoi’s intent to keep in touch and strengthen their defence partnership. Developments in bilateral engagements may open up further avenues for cooperation in the months ahead.
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