India, Vietnam sign pact to share hydrographic data

Vietnam is said to be interested in buying the Brahmos supersonic cruise missile --- a joint venture between India and Russia --- to shore up its defences at a time of Beijing’s aggressive posturing in the South China Sea. Vietnamese sailors have trained in India to hone their underwater warfare skills.

India and Vietnam on Thursday signed an agreement for cooperation in the field of hydrography to enable sharing of data and assist in production of navigational charts by both countries, defence ministry officials said after defence minister Rajnath Singh and his Vietnamese counterpart General Ngo Xuan Lich held talks via video-conferencing on Friday.

Defence minister Rajnath Singh and his Vietnamese counterpart General Ngo Xuan Lich held talks via video-conferencing on Friday. (TWITTER/ @rajnathsingh.)

Hydrography deals with the measurement and description of the physical features of oceans and seas.

“During the talks, both ministers reaffirmed the strong India-Vietnam defence cooperation which is a key pillar of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries. They discussed various ongoing projects and the future trajectory of bilateral defence engagements,” a defence ministry spokesperson said.

Vietnam is said to be interested in buying the Brahmos supersonic cruise missile --- a joint venture between India and Russia --- to shore up its defences at a time of Beijing’s aggressive posturing in the South China Sea. Vietnamese sailors have trained in India to hone their underwater warfare skills.

Both ministers discussed collaboration in defence industry capability building, training and cooperation in UN peacekeeping operations, the ministry said in a statement.

“Vietnamese Defence Minister also invited the Raksha Mantri for ADMM (Asean Defence Ministers’ Meeting)-Plus meeting being hosted by Vietnam on December 10, 2020, through the virtual mode,” the spokesperson said.