India confirms Brahmos talks with Vietnam; elevates ties to enhanced comprehensive strategic partnership

India and Vietnam also elevated their bilateral relations to an Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during the state visit of Vietnamese President and General Secretary To Lam, with both sides announcing concrete steps to deepen defence, economic, technological, and cultural cooperation.

In a significant development, India confirmed ongoing talks with Vietnam regarding the BrahMos missile system. MEA Secretary (East) P. Kumaran stated, “We do talk about a number of platforms, Brahmos platform is one of them.”

India and Vietnam also elevated their bilateral relations to an Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during the state visit of Vietnamese President and General Secretary To Lam, with both sides announcing concrete steps to deepen defence, economic, technological, and cultural cooperation.

The Vietnamese President’s visit yielded 18 outcomes, including 13 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) and five key announcements.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held wide-ranging discussions with President To Lam at Hyderabad House, covering defence and security, trade and investment, science and technology, development partnership, maritime cooperation, critical and rare earth minerals, space, renewable energy (including atomic energy), culture, and people-to-people linkages, along with regional and global issues.

Defence and Security Cooperation

The two sides are advancing defence ties under a Joint Vision Statement for Defence Partnership 2030. This includes capacity building, training for the Vietnamese armed forces, UN peacekeeping cooperation, joint military exercises, port calls, ship visits, and a completed joint hydrographic survey.

India is also pursuing a 2+2 dialogue with foreign and defence ministries, white shipping information sharing, cybersecurity, and AI-enhanced security measures.

During the Prime Minister’s earlier visit, lines of credit worth $500 million were announced. Projects worth $100 million are under tender, including the procurement of 14 high-speed patrol boats and three to four Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs).

An additional $200 million will support the next stage of these LOCs.

Indian defence manufacturers recently visited Vietnam to explore opportunities.

Both leaders acknowledged growing threats of terrorism, transnational crime, money laundering, and online scams.

President To Lam conveyed Vietnam’s support for counter-terror cooperation, and Prime Minister Modi thanked Vietnam for its strong support following the Pahalgam attack.

Maritime and Regional Issues: India’s South China Sea stand

Vietnam joined the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) during the visit. On the South China Sea, India reiterated its longstanding position. P. Kumaran stated that India upholds peace, stability, security, and freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea, supports peaceful resolution of disputes as per the 1982 UNCLOS, and favours a substantive and effective Code of Conduct that does not prejudice legitimate rights of non-party nations and remains fully consistent with international law.

Economic and Trade Ties

India and Vietnam have set an ambitious new bilateral trade target of USD 25 billion by 2030. Key MoUs signed include:

NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) and National Payment Corporation of Vietnam (NAPAS) for Cross Border QR code interoperability.

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) on cooperation in payment systems and innovation in digital payments. This is expected to facilitate easier transactions for the nearly 800,000–1 million Indian tourists visiting Vietnam annually, especially with improved air connectivity.

Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and Vietnam’s Ministry of Science and Technology on Digital Technologies and IT.

Rare Earths and Critical Minerals

An MoU was signed between IREL (India) Ltd. and Vietnam’s Institute for Technology of Radioactive and Rare Elements (ITRRE) to expand cooperation in rare earth elements and new-age technologies.

Cultural and Educational Initiatives:

• Cultural Exchange Programme (2026–2030) between the two Ministries of Culture.
• Establishment of two ICCR Chairs of Indian Studies, at the University of Science and Education, Da Nang University, and at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities.
• MoU between Nalanda University and Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics for capacity building.
• MoU on Digitization of Cham Manuscripts between Gyan Bharatam (Ministry of Culture) and the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City.

Other Key Announcements and MoUs

Establishment of a Site Interpretation Centre at the UNESCO World Heritage Site at My Son, a cluster of ancient Shaiva Hindu temples in central Vietnam.
MoU on urban cooperation between Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee.

MoU between the Comptroller and Auditor General of India and Vietnam’s State Audit Office (renewing the 2010 agreement). MoU on Tourism cooperation. Announcements facilitating the export of Indian grapes to Vietnam and Vietnamese durian to India.