• The Indian and Vietnamese armies began an 11-day military exercise — VINBAX — in Hanoi on December 11.

• VINBAX-23 will conclude on December 21.

• The Indian contingent comprises 45 personnel, 39 from an engineer regiment of the Bengal Engineer Group and six from the Army Medical Corps. The Vietnam People’s Army has deployed 45 personnel for the drill.

• VINBAX was instituted in 2018 and the first edition of the joint military exercise was conducted at Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh.

• It is an annual training event conducted alternately in India and Vietnam.

• The last edition was conducted at the Chandimandir military station in August 2022.

• The aim of the exercise is to foster collaborative partnership, promote interoperability and share best practices between the two sides under Chapter VII of the UN Charter on Peacekeeping Operations.

• The joint exercise will help in promoting understanding and interoperability between the two contingents and further strengthen the defence cooperation between the friendly armies.

• In reflection of the growing strategic ties, India gifted its in-service missile corvette, INS Kirpan, to Vietnam in July.

India-Vietnam relations

• India and Vietnam share traditionally close and cordial bilateral relations. India was the chairman of the International Commission for Supervision and Control (ICSC) which was formed in pursuant of the Geneva Accord of 1954 to facilitate the peace process in Vietnam. 

• India initially maintained consulate-level relations with the then North and South Vietnam and later established full diplomatic relations with unified Vietnam on January 7, 1972. 

• Vietnam, an important country of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), has territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea region.

• India has oil exploration projects in the Vietnamese waters in the South China Sea. India and Vietnam are boosting their maritime security cooperation in the last few years to protect common interests.

• Vietnam is an important partner in India’s Act East policy and the Indo-Pacific vision.

• Bilateral defence engagements have expanded over a period of time to include wide-ranging contacts between the two countries, including through defence policy dialogues, military-to-military exchanges, high-level visits, capacity building and training programmes and cooperation in the UN peacekeeping and bilateral exercises.

• Relations between the two countries were elevated to the level of ‘Strategic  Partnership’ during the visit of Vietnam's then Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung to India in July 2007.

• In 2016, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Vietnam, bilateral relations were further elevated to a ‘Comprehensive Strategic Partnership’. 

• From $200 million in the year 2000, bilateral trade between India and Vietnam has seen steady growth over the years. According to Indian statistics for Financial Year 2021-22, bilateral trade between India and Vietnam reached $14.14 billion. 

• Indian exports to Vietnam reached $6.70 billion while Indian imports from Vietnam amounted to $7.44 billion. 

• In FY 2021-22, for India, Vietnam was the 23rd largest trading partner globally and the fourth largest among ASEAN countries, following Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia.

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