India-Vietnam Enhanced Partnership: Doval's Hanoi Visit

New Delhi's top security official, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, landed in Hanoi on Sunday for an official visit. He will engage with Vietnamese leadership under the India-Vietnam Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, a framework agreed upon during Vietnamese President To Lam's visit to India in May.

The Indian Embassy in Vietnam shared news of the visit on X, greeting Doval and noting that the discussions would be in line with the bilateral strategic partnership.

The visit builds on recent engagements between the two countries across multiple fronts. In late October, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla met Vietnamese lawmaker Mai Dung Thai Quynh and other members of the parliamentary friendship group during the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum in New Delhi. The meeting was also attended by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor and BJP MP Dilip Saikia.

The participants examined ways to boost parliamentary exchanges, reinforce institutional links and seek fresh opportunities in trade, industry, information technology and artificial intelligence. Birla voiced hope that such dialogue would strengthen parliamentary relations and energise the enduring friendship between India and Vietnam.

Defence ties have also advanced. In September, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and Vietnam's Deputy Defence Minister, Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Truong Thang, held talks in New Delhi during the 18th BRICS Summit. They discussed strengthening the strategic partnership and defence industry cooperation, and both sides committed to expanding collaboration in several areas.

Doval's visit is expected to further sharpen the focus on these shared priorities as the two nations work to deepen their partnership.