New Delhi [India], September 13 (ANI): Following the recent high-level bilateral meeting between the Prime Ministers of India and Vietnam on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh held a meeting with the Deputy Minister of National Defence of Vietnam, Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Truong Thang, in New Delhi on September 13.
The meeting focused on strengthening the bonds of friendship, advancing regional security, and deepening the bilateral Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the Ministry of Defence said.
The discussions centred on accelerating joint initiatives, technology sharing and defence industrial collaboration. The two sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to expanding maritime and defence ties to ensure a peaceful, stable, and rule-based regional security architecture.
India and Vietnam strongly emphasised the value of close coordination in multilateral fora to address complex security dynamics. Specifically, they highlighted the importance of active engagement under the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) construct.
Both sides reaffirmed their joint commitment to enhancing practical defence cooperation through ASEAN-led mechanisms, noting that collaborative platforms like the ADMM-Plus Experts' Working Groups are vital for maintaining regional stability and building collective security architectures in the Indo-Pacific. They agreed on the scheduled conduct of the next Defence Policy Dialogue to be hosted in India on the sidelines of Aero India 2027.
The interaction underscores the growing momentum in defence ties between India and Vietnam, building directly on the strategic vision set forth by both Prime Ministers at the BRICS summit.
India is hosting the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12-13 under its 2026 BRICS Chairship. India's Chairship is guided by the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”, with development, sustainability and innovation forming key areas of focus.
The grouping currently comprises 11 countries -- Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the UAE. (ANI)
Defence Secretary meets Vietnam Deputy Defence Minister on sidelines of BRICS Summit
