Rajnath Singh visited Vietnam to enhance bilateral defence cooperation

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday handed over a gift of USD one million on behalf of the Government of India for the establishment of a language and IT laboratory at the Air Force Officers Training School at Nha Trang, Vietnam.

Singh visited the school on the last day of his three-day visit to Vietnam to enhance defence cooperation between the two countries.

He expressed the hope that the laboratory would substantially contribute to sharpen the language and IT skills of Air Defence and Air Force personnel of Vietnam, said the Ministry of Defence.

The Indian Defence Minister later visited the Telecommunications University in Nha Trang, where an Army Software Park is being established with a USD 5 million grant from Government of India. The grant was announced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Vietnam in September 2016, the ministry added.

On Thursday, the Indian Defence Minister had handed over 12 high speed guard boats to Vietnam. The boats, built with funds from the Indian government's USD 100 million Defence Line of Credit to Vietnam, were handed over during a ceremony at the Hong Ha Shipyard in Hai Phong.

Singh earlier held bilateral talks with Minister of National Defence General Phan Van Giang.

Both sides signed a ‘Joint Vision Statement on India-Vietnam Defence Partnership towards 2030’ to enhance defence cooperation. A MoU to simplify procedures for mutually beneficial logistic support was also inked between the two countries.

The Indian Defence Minister also called on President Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
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