Vietnam, India vow to deepen defence cooperation

Defence Minister Phan Van Giang highlighted the great potential for cooperation between the two countries and called on the defence ministries to further promote friendship, mutual understanding, and trust, making bilateral defence ties more practical and effective.

Minister of National Defence General Phan Van Giang (right) receives Indian Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh in Hanoi on November 10, 2025. (Photo: VNA)
Minister of National Defence General Phan Van Giang (right) receives Indian Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh in Hanoi on November 10, 2025. (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Minister of National Defence General Phan Van Giang hosted a reception for Indian Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh in Hanoi on November 10, during which both sides expressed satisfaction with the fruitful outcomes of the 15th Vietnam – India Defence Policy Dialogue held earlier the same day.

Giang highlighted the great potential for cooperation between the two countries and called on the defence ministries to further promote friendship, mutual understanding, and trust, making bilateral defence ties more practical and effective.

Affirming that Vietnam always treasures its traditional friendship with India, he expressed his belief that the Indian delegation’s visit, led by Singh, will be a success, contributing to strengthening bilateral relations in general and defence cooperation in particular.

The Vietnamese minister appreciated India’s support for Vietnam in recent years, especially in training hundreds of Vietnamese military officers in various fields, and in providing aid packages and preferential credit.

He also noted bilateral defence cooperation has expanded continuously and achieved tangible results as seen in regular mutual visits, consultations, young officers’ exchanges, training cooperation, joint efforts in peacekeeping operations, and coordination at multilateral forums.

For his part, Singh noted India and Vietnam share many similarities in culture, people, and history, and that defence cooperation is one of the important driving forces of bilateral relations.

He expressed confidence that the outcomes of the 15th Defence Policy Dialogue, co-chaired by the Indian Defence Secretary and Vietnamese Deputy Minister of National Defence Sen. Lt. Gen. Hoang Xuan Chien, will further deepen the defence partnership between the two countries./.

VNA

See more

Ministries and sectors are requested to pay special attention to promoting election publicity and legal education. - Illustrative image (baochinhphu.vn)

Government sets out coordinated plan for 2026 elections

The plan also aims to ensure that the elections are conducted in a democratic, equal and law-abiding manner, while being safe and cost-effective, truly becoming a nationwide civic event, thus contributing to strengthening and enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of the state apparatus and building a socialist rule-of-law state of Vietnam of the people, by the people and for the people.

President Ho Chi Minh’s image featured on ballots at Communist Party of Uruguay congress (Photo: VNA)

Image of President Ho Chi Minh appears on ballots at Uruguay Communist Party congress

Among the ballots used at the congress were three featuring posters of President Ho Chi Minh and one bearing an image depicting the Vietnamese people engaged in production during the period of resistance against foreign aggression. The latter also carried the inscriptions “80th Anniversary of Vietnam’s National Day” and “33rd National Congress of the PCU".

Flowers are laid in memory of victims of the shooting on Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, on December 15, 2025. (Photo: Xinhua/VNA)

Vietnam sends sympathy to Australia following Sydney shooting

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on December 15 sent a message of sympathy to his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese over a shooting that occurred on December 14 at Bondi beach in Sydney, New South Wales, resulting in multiple civilian casualties.

Party General Secretary To Lam and NA deputies are welcomed by locals in Hung Yen on December 15, 2025 (Photo: VNA)

Party leader meets with voters in Hung Yen province

Responding to Hung Yen voters’ recommendations, Party General Secretary To Lam affirmed the consistent principle of placing people at the centre, safeguarding their legitimate rights and interests, and ensuring that all policies and decisions serve the people.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung holds phone talks with Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Maria Theresa Lazaro on December 15. (Photo : VNA)

Vietnamese, Philippine foreign ministers hold phone talks

Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung and his Philippine counterpart Maria Theresa Lazaro agreed to continue promoting efforts to elevate bilateral ties to a new height, including stepping up high-level and all-level delegation exchanges across Party, State, National Assembly and people-to-people channels.

The NA Standing Committee's meeting on electoral affairs on December 15. (Photo: quochoi.vn)

NA Standing Committee discusses electoral affairs

The NA Standing Committee adopted a resolution on the first adjustment to the structure, composition, and number of candidates nominated for the 16th NA, and approved a plan to supervise and inspect the election.

National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man chairs the fourth meeting of the National Election Council on December 15, 2025. (Photo: VNA)

Election preparations on track ahead of upcoming polls: NA Chairman

Highlighting key positive aspects of the preparation process so far, the top legislator pointed to the strong, coordinated engagement of agencies from the central to local levels, swift yet methodical progress, particularly in finalising documents, developing organisational plans and drafting resolutions on electoral units.

Frigate 015 – Tran Hung Dao and the delegation of the Vietnam People’s Navy (VPN) on December 14 leave Jinhae Naval Base. (Photo: qdnd.vn)

Frigate 015 – Tran Hung Dao concludes visit to RoK

During the visit, officers and sailors of the two navies toured Frigate 015 and the RoK Navy’s Munmu the Great destroyer, shared experience in training and long-duration deployments at sea, and took part in sports exchanges. The VPN delegation also hosted a banquet aboard Frigate 015 for senior officers and sailors of the host navy.