Indian warship visits Vietnam in boost to naval cooperation

It will deliver humanitarian assistance, including relief goods for flood-affected people in central Vietnam, which was hit by a series of storms and floods between September and November, according to the Indian embassy in Hanoi.

The visit, part of the Indian Navy's deployment to Southeast Asia, seeks to strengthen cooperation between the two countries’ navies, deepen the friendship between Vietnam and India in the context that they signed seven agreements to boost cooperation in defense and renewable energy during a virtual summit between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Vietnamese counterpart, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, on December 21.

The ship has a displacement of 3,500 tons and length of 109 meters, and its four diesel engines can achieve a top speed of over 25 knots.

The two navies cooperate in various fields like crew training, ship maintenance and logistics.

In October last year INS Sahyadri paid a friendly visit to the central coastal city of Da Nang.

Vietnam and India established diplomatic relations in 1972 and their relationship has developed strongly in recent years spanning economics, trade and defense.

Defense and security cooperation is an important pillar in the partnership.