India–Vietnam maritime cooperation
Map: World
Current relevance:
The 7th High-Level Meeting between the
Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and Vietnam Coast Guard (VCG) was held in Chennai
on 25 August 2026 under the 2015 MoU on Coast Guard Cooperation.
Continent:
Both India and Vietnam are
located in Asia. India is in South Asia, while Vietnam lies in Southeast
Asia on the eastern part of the Indochinese Peninsula.
Bordering Countries:
Vietnam shares land borders with China
to the north and Laos and Cambodia to the west, while its eastern and
southern coastline faces the South China Sea.
Important
Rivers:
Locate the South China Sea to the east and south
of Vietnam, along with the Gulf of Tonkin in the north and Gulf of
Thailand in the southwest.
Significance:
1.
Comprehensive Strategic Partnership:
India–Vietnam relations were elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic
Partnership in 2016, reflecting their broad strategic cooperation.
2. Maritime
cooperation: Cooperation between the two Coast Guards strengthens maritime
safety, Search and Rescue, law enforcement, pollution response and operational
interoperability.
3. Indo-Pacific
location: Vietnam occupies a strategically important position
along the South China Sea, close to major maritime routes linking the
Indian and Pacific Oceans.
4. Defence
and security: Defence and security cooperation forms an
important component of the India–Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
5. Act
East Policy: Vietnam is an important partner in India's engagement
with ASEAN and Southeast Asia, strengthening India's wider regional
connectivity and strategic presence.
Source: PIB