As part of the sideline events held on the occasion of the ongoing visit to Vietnam by Indian Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the Hanoi meeting gathered 16 Indian firms operating in the defence industry, as well as their host counterparts, to introduce their new research and opportunities for cooperation.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Major General Ho Quang Tuan, Deputy Head of the General Department of Defence Industry, said that the event is a contribution to the realisation of the two sides’ defence cooperation strategy that has been reached by the two countries’ leaders, thus promoting bilateral defence relations.
It is also an opportunity for defence enterprises and agencies from the two Ministries of Defence to meet, exchange and strengthen their common trust and understanding for mutual cooperation and development.
At the meeting, the two sides focused on discussing research cooperation, designing, manufacturing, and technology transfer, as well as the procurement of defence equipment, defence industry cooperation and human resource training.
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Vietnamese and Indian defence industry firms discuss their research to provide options and opportunities for cooperation. (Photo: NDO/Trung Hung)
Major General Tuan expressed his hope that the meeting would open new business investment opportunities to further tighten the bilateral cooperation in the defence industry and contribute to enhancing and developing a comprehensive strategic partnership in line with the two countries' interests for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and throughout the world.
Rajib Kumar Sen, Head of the Indian Department of Defence Production, said that the India-Vietnam defence relationship was built on the basis of a long time traditional friendship. The two countries' Defence Ministries have seen substantial and effective cooperation in recent years.
Rajib Kumar Sen said that his government has paid due attention to the defence industry and has made huge investments in the sector. Many Indian enterprises have invested in this field. He said he hoped that the meeting would be an opportunity to connect the two countries' businesses in order to jointly explore and open new avenues for defence industry cooperation.
Vietnam and India agreed to upgrade their relationship to a "comprehensive strategic partnership" during an official visit by the Prime Minister of India to Vietnam in September 2016.
Earlier, the Joint Vision Statement on Vietnam-India Defence Relations for the 2015-2020 period was signed in May 2015, showing the continuous progress in the friendship and multi-faceted cooperation between the two sides and affirming that defence cooperation is an important pillar of the strategic partnership between the two countries.
