Vietnamese Ambassador to India Pham Sanh Chau and soldiers of Vietnam and India at the opening ceremony of VINBAX 2022 (Photo: VNA)
New Delhi (VNA) – The Vietnam - India Bilateral Army Exercise (VINBAX) 2022 kicked off at Engineering Brigade 474 in the Indian state of Haryana on August 1.
Each of the two countries sent 45 personnel to the exercise, which will last until August 21.
The Vietnamese delegation was led by Col. Luu Dinh Hien, chief commander of the training centre at the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations. Meanwhile, the Indian side was led by Brigadier General Saurabh Bhatnagar, head of Engineering Brigade 474.
In his opening speech, Vietnamese Ambassador to India Pham Sanh Chau highlighted the importance of VINBAX 2022 to the two countries’ defence ties and comprehensive strategic partnership as they are marking the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations.
He thanked the Indian Ministry of Defence, especially Engineering Brigade 474, for creating the best conditions for the Vietnamese delegation to take part in the drill.
He also called on Vietnam’s military personnel to play an active part in the exercise and learn from Indian’s experience in order to make more effective contributions to UN peacekeeping operations in the future.
Welcoming the Vietnamese delegation, Lt. Gen. Prateek Sharma, Commander of the II Corps of India’s Western Command, said VINBAX 2022 is one of the practical cooperation activities held between the two militaries in recent years.
💯 VINBAX 2022, the third exercise on UN peacekeeping between Vietnam and India, focuses on performing engineering and medical tasks in UN peacekeeping operations. It was upgraded from two previous sand table exercises held in 2018 and 2019./.
Vietnam and India began a joint exercise on scale model in Thach That district, Hanoi, on July 8 to share experience in dealing with situations that may arise during peacekeeping operations at United Nations missions.
The Trade Office at the Vietnamese Embassy in India and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) have co-organised a virtual conference to promote trade and investment ties between Vietnamese localities and India’s Andhra Pradesh state.
Vietjet has officially launched four more services linking top destinations of Vietnam and India including Ho Chi Minh City/Hanoi – Mumbai and Phu Quoc – New Delhi/Mumbai.
The Indian Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City, in collaboration with the Vietnam-India Friendship Association in the city, organised a people-to-people exchange meet on June 25.
More than 150 Indian firms operating in different spheres in India attended a trade promotion programme held by the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade in New Delhi on July 18.
General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee To Lam and his spouse Ngo Phuong Ly departed from Hanoi on August 10 morning for a four-day state visit to the Republic of Korea (RoK), which is made at an invitation of RoK President Lee Jae Myung.
As part of the ASEAN Day celebrations, the Vietnamese embassy will also host the ASEAN Family Day 2025 in Ottawa to foster solidarity and community spirit among ASEAN members in Canada.
State President Luong Cuong’s trip once again reaffirmed the Party and State’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification and multilateralisation of relations. It also reflected the strong trend of enhanced cooperation among countries of the Global South in shaping a new, more multipolar, fair and equitable world order.
The outcomes of Party General Secretary To Lam's visit will serve as a driving force and source of inspiration for the two countries to inherit, promote, and elevate their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, contributing to the national construction and development cause in each country, and to peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 9 inspected the construction site of the new Phong Chau bridge, and surveyed a planned route for the Lao Cai – Hanoi – Hai Phong railway section running through the northern province of Phu Tho.
Across print, broadcast, and online platforms, Angolan media portrayed State President Luong Cuong's visit as a warm and historic occasion, strengthening bilateral ties and boosting Vietnam’s presence in Africa through the AU.
The 500kV Lao Cai – Vinh Yen power transmission line has a total investment of over 7.41 trillion VND (282.5 million USD), and a total length of 229.5 km, passing through 31 communes in the two provinces, and comprising 468 transmission tower foundations.
The visits reflected the elevated position of Vietnam’s foreign policy in the new era—aimed at not only advancing ties with key regional partners like Egypt and Angola but also delivering a strategic message about Vietnam’s commitment to deepening relations with African nations as a whole.
At their talks and meetings, President Cuong and Angola’s top leaders affirmed that the close brotherhood and traditional friendship are a valuable shared asset and a solid foundation for the two nations to advance into a new phase of development.
The ruling People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) attaches great importance to the friendship, solidarity, and comradeship with the Communist Party of Vietnam, and voiced her Party’s wish to further deepen and expand relations between the two sides for the benefit of the Vietnamese and Angolan people.
Vietnam pledges to do its utmost to build an ASEAN of solidarity, consensus, and unity in diversity, and to foster a fast and sustainable development path for ASEAN, grounded in science, technology, and innovation, said Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
Party General Secretary To Lam called on the criminal police force to accelerate the application of science, technology, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation in criminal investigation tasks such as crime prevention, detection, tracking and verification, ensuring that no area remains out of their reach.
Many Koreans living, studying, and working in Hanoi see the upcoming state visit to the Republic of Korea (RoK) by Party General Secretary To Lam as an opportunity to generate strong synergy in economic cooperation, people-to-people exchanges, and cultural understanding.
The achievements of the five decades of Vietnam–Angola cooperation provide a strong and enduring foundation, as well as momentum for the two sides to consolidate, expand, and bring their partnership into a new phase of development.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stressed that the emulation and commendation work is a vital driver, fostering patriotism, dedication, and collective momentum in the run-up to the 11th National Patriotic Emulation Congress, Party congresses at all levels, and the 14th National Party Congress.
Emphasising the need for sustainable, long-term collaboration, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man called on Japanese investors not only to bring in capital but also to share expertise and modern technology, especially in areas such as green transformation, the circular economy, and advanced corporate governance.
President Luong Cuong's activities during his state visit to Angola, the celebration of the financial sector's 80th traditional day, and the Foreign Ministry's flag-hoisting ceremony marking the 58th founding anniversary of ASEAN are among news highlights on August 8.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Pham Viet Hung praised the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ meaningful initiative, noting that the ASEAN Family Run was not only a sporting activity but also an opportunity for diplomats and their families to show unity, connection, and solidarity within the ASEAN family.
Politburo member, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 8 attended the first congress of the Party Organisation of Tay Ho ward of Hanoi for the 2025–2030 term, during which he called for fresh momentum to turn the ward into a model that takes the lead in all fields.
The size of the economy increased from over 5 billion USD in 1986 to over 476 billion USD by 2024, making Vietnam the fourth-largest economy in Southeast Asia and the 34th largest in the world.
Vietnamese Ambassador to India Pham Sanh Chau and soldiers of Vietnam and India at the opening ceremony of VINBAX 2022 (Photo: VNA) 
