2.9. India and Vietnam

♤ Vietnam declared independence in 1945. Resistance of the French Rule continued after that which ended in the defeat of the French in 1954

♤ Jawahar Lal Nehru became first foreign leader to visit Vietnam in 1954

♤ Doi-Moi reforms: economic reforms initiated in Vietnam in 1986 with the goal of creating a "socialist-oriented market economy".

♤ Vietnam much deeper and historical hostility towards China exacerbated by a 1979 war

♤ A Strategic Parternship agreement was signed between India and Vietnam in 2007.

♤ A pivot to India’s role in South East Asia. Export of technology. Possibility of Export of Brahmos missile

♤ The two countries had signed a civil nuclear cooperation agreement in 2016, pursuant to which a MoU on Cooperation between the Global Centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership (GCNEP) and the Vietnam Atomic Energy Institute (VINATOM) was signed in 2018.

♤ Petroleum Exploration: In 2006, OVL won a contract to jointly explore, along with PetroVietnam, Blocks 127 and 128 in the Phu Khanh basin, Vietnam. It then signed a three- year deal with Petrovietnam in September 2011 to jointly explore for oil and gas in these blocks. OVL later relinquished Block 127 after it encountered dry wells.

♤ India signed an agreement with Vietnam in October 2011 to expand and promote oil exploration in South China Sea and stood by its decision despite China’s challenge to the legality of Indian presence.

♤ P.M. Narendra Modi visited Vietnam September 2016, on his way to China for the G-20 summit.

♤ PM Modi announced a new line of credit of $500 million for Vietnam to facilitate deeper defence cooperation.

♤ India already provides Vietnam a $100 million concessional line of credit, some of which has been used for procuring Offshore Patrol Vehicles (OPVs),

♤ Talks continue on Akash Surface to Air Missile systems (SR-SAMS) and Dhruv advanced light helicopters.

♤ India’s outreach to Hanoi comes at a time when the United States has lifted its long- standing ban on the sale of lethal military equipment to Vietnam.

♤ While India may want to downplay the Brahmos sale at this point in its engagement with Vietnam, a final decision will have to be made soon.

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