NSA Ajit Doval reviews bilateral defence cooperation with Vietnam's deputy PM in Hanoi

National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval on Monday held discussions with Vietnam's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence, General Phan Van Giang, in Hanoi, reviewing ongoing bilateral defence cooperation and agreeing to further deepen engagement in the sector.

The Embassy of India in Vietnam shared details of the meeting in a post on X, stating that both sides discussed the progress of defence cooperation and explored ways to strengthen their engagement.

"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," the Embassy posted.

Doval arrived in Hanoi on Sunday for an official visit to Vietnam, during which he is scheduled to interact with the Vietnamese leadership to review the Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries.

Welcoming the NSA, the Embassy of India in Vietnam had earlier posted on X, "Welcome to Vietnam! National Security Advisor (NSA) of India Shri Ajit Doval, KC, landed in Hanoi on an official visit. NSA, during the visit, will interact with the Vietnamese leadership in line with the India-Vietnam Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership."

The visit follows the elevation of India-Vietnam relations to an Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during Vietnamese President To Lam's visit to India in May 2026.

During the May visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President To Lam held wide-ranging discussions, reviewing bilateral relations and exchanging views on regional and global issues of mutual interest.

The two leaders underlined that stronger India-Vietnam ties would bring mutual benefits to their people and contribute to their respective national development goals, including India's Viksit Bharat 2047 and Vietnam's Vision 2045.

They also commended the effective implementation of the Joint Vision Statement on India-Vietnam Defence Partnership towards 2030, which continues to guide the expansion of defence cooperation between the two countries.

The latest discussions also come against the backdrop of continued engagement between New Delhi and Hanoi across various security-related areas.

Last month, India and Vietnam held the fourth edition of their Security Dialogue in New Delhi, reviewing cooperation in counter-terrorism, cybersecurity, maritime engagements, economic security and emerging technologies.

According to the Union Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the dialogue was co-chaired by India's Deputy National Security Advisor Pavan Kapoor and Vietnam's Deputy Minister of Public Security, Senior Lieutenant General Pham The Tung.

In a statement, the MEA said both sides undertook a comprehensive review of ongoing cooperation across several security domains and exchanged views on the regional and global security environment.

"Both sides undertook a comprehensive review of ongoing cooperation between the two countries covering, inter alia, economic security, maritime engagements, counter-terrorism, emerging technologies and cyber security. They also exchanged views on the regional and global security environment and reaffirmed their commitment to closer collaboration on issues of mutual interest," the MEA said.

The fourth India-Vietnam Security Dialogue reflected the continued engagement between the two countries on matters of strategic importance, with both sides seeking to strengthen cooperation in traditional and emerging security domains.

The MEA further stated that the dialogue is held biennially under the 2016 Memorandum of Understanding for Cooperation between India's National Security Council Secretariat and Vietnam's Ministry of Public Security.