Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung visits India Monday Oct 27,2014

Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung landed in India on Monday Oct 27,2014 with a wish-list that includes joint training on the Sukhoi jets.

As a country that uses a wide array of Russian-origin military equipment, Vietnam is increasingly looking to India to enhance the capabilities of its armed forces in handling submarines, naval vessels and Sukhoi fighter jets. 

India is one of the largest users of the Russian-origin Su-30 MKIs and has developed strong expertise in operating the advanced jet.

Vietnam will have a modest fleet of around 35 Su-30 MK2 jets. It plans to train its pilots in India, as was done by Malaysia, the other Sukhoi operating air force in Southeast Asia.

Much like India, Vietnam extensively flies the Soviet-era MiG-21s. India has also helped the country in maintaining its fleet of these ageing jets.

India already trains Vietnamese naval personnel in handling Russian Kilo-class submarines. Around 500 Vietnamese personnel will be training on the submarines in coming years.

The defence cooperation is central to India’s ties with Vietnam. New Delhi has consistently supported the Vietnamese armed forces by sending spares for warships and offering a $100-million credit line for defence equipment.

As India aims to expand the market for its military gear, Vietnam is being seen as a potential customer. Vietnam is also exploring the possibility of procuring offshore patrol vessels from Indian shipyards. India is making two such vessels for neighbouring Sri Lanka.

President Pranab Mukherjee visited Vietnam last month when a defence agreement was signed.

PM Narendra Modi receives his Vietnamese counterpart NguyenTan Dung and wife Tran Thanh Kiem at the Rashtrapati Bhavan

 

Bilateral trade between India and Vietnam has been growing steadily. In 2013-14, the total Indo-Vietnam bilateral trade was $8 billion, more than three times the bilateral trade between India and Pakistan. 

Growth in trade volumes have witnessed a jump of 30 per cent from the previous year

Currently four product groups contribute to almost 80 per cent of Vietnam’s exports to India. They are mineral products (45%), chemical products (12%), vegetable products (10%), machinery and mechanical appliances (10%). 

The emerging sectors which Vietnam should be focusing on to competitively introduce products in the Indian market are agro-products, machinery, base metals, plastics, chemicals, textiles and clothing. 

Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung visited Bodh Gaya on Monday Oct 27,2014 and prayed at the Mahabodhi temple, Buddhism's holiest shrine.



Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi welcomed Prime Minister Dung at the Gautam Buddha International Airport near Bodh Gaya.

The 1,500-year-old Buddhist shrine in Bodh Gaya, some 110 km from Patna, is where Gautama Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment about 2,550 years ago.

Prime Minister Dung, who is in India on a two-day visit, also circumambulated the ancient Mahabodhi tree under which the Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment.

Mantras of the Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism schools were chanted in Vietnamese as well in deference to Prime Minister Dung and his wife Tran Thanh Kiem.

After the prayers, Prime Minister Dung said that Buddhism binds India and Vietnam together