HANOI — National Security Adviser Ajit Doval concluded a two-day visit to Hanoi on Monday, where India and Vietnam agreed to deepen defence cooperation and explore real-time strategic intelligence sharing amid heightened Chinese maritime activity in the South China Sea.
Doval met with Vietnam's Minister of Public Security, General Luong Tam Quang, and discussed expanding security cooperation, including Vietnam's proposal to explore an agreement on the mutual protection and exchange of classified information. The Vietnamese side also requested assistance from India's National Security Council Secretariat to advance those discussions.
Later on Monday, Doval met Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister General Phan Van Giang. The Indian Embassy said the two leaders reviewed ongoing bilateral defence cooperation and agreed to further deepen engagements in the sector. India highlighted its defence assistance to Vietnam, including the 2023 gift of the missile corvette INS Kirpan and the supply of 12 high-speed guard boats under a $100-million defence credit line. The signing of a deal to supply BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to Vietnam was also confirmed.
The talks occurred against the backdrop of continuing pressure from China's expansive claims in the South China Sea, with hundreds of Chinese naval and coast guard vessels operating in waters near key shipping routes. Both sides emphasized the importance of freedom of navigation and peace in the Indo-Pacific region.
The visit underscores the deepening of the India-Vietnam Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, elevated during Vietnamese President To Lam's trip to New Delhi in May. An annual trade target of USD 25 billion by 2030 was set at that time. Doval emphasized cooperation with "trustworthy partners" in a rapidly changing world. Vietnam also sought Indian support for training police peacekeepers and securing the APEC summit it will host in 2027.
No new intelligence-sharing treaty was signed during the visit, but both sides said they would accelerate negotiations on the proposed agreements. The deepening of security ties reflects India's Act East Policy and Vietnam's pursuit of additional capabilities and strategic partners without entering a formal military alliance.
Read more: India and Vietnam have expanded their bilateral relationship over decades, with defence cooperation emerging as a major pillar. India has supplied Vietnam with patrol boats, gifted a missile-armed warship and signed a deal to sell BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles. Neither New Delhi nor Hanoi has publicly said that China was specifically discussed during Doval's meetings, but the geopolitical significance of the visit is shaped by Beijing's increasingly assertive actions in the region.
