Defence Minister Rajnath Singh began an official visit to Vietnam and South Korea to strengthen strategic military cooperation, defence industrial ties and maritime collaboration in the Indo-Pacific. India aims to expand defence partnerships through joint exercises, technology cooperation, naval engagement and regional security dialogues with both nations.

New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday begins an official visit to Vietnam and South Korea aimed at strengthening strategic military cooperation, defence industrial partnerships and maritime collaboration in the Indo-Pacific region.

In a post on X, Singh said, "Today, 18th May, I shall be reaching Hanoi. Looking forward to visiting Vietnam and South Korea this week to further expand the scope of our engagement."

The Defence Minister said his discussions during the visit would focus on expanding defence ties and enhancing regional cooperation. "I will focus on deepening strategic military cooperation, strengthening defence industrial partnerships, and boosting maritime collaboration, promoting peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region," he said.

Earlier on May 6, during the state visit of the Vietnamese President, To Lam, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and To Lam reaffirmed that defence and security cooperation is a key pillar of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two nations. India and Vietnam agreed to further strengthen cooperation and enhance engagements in both traditional and emerging areas of defence cooperation and decided to enhance defence systems procurement between the two countries.