Defence Minister Rajnath Singh arrived in Hanoi on Monday, marking the start of the Vietnam segment of his two-nation visit aimed at strengthening India’s strategic and defence engagement across the Indo-Pacific region. He was welcomed at the airport by the Deputy Chief of General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA), along with India's Ambassador to Vietnam and the Defence Attache at the Indian Embassy in Hanoi. Officials from Vietnam’s Ministry of National Defence and members of the Indian diplomatic mission were also present.

The visit follows the recent state trip of Vietnam's To Lam to New Delhi, reflecting growing momentum in defence cooperation between the two countries. The BrahMos supersonic cruise missile is expected to be a key topic of discussion, with both sides likely to assess progress on a long-pending potential supply agreement.

During the visit, Rajnath Singh will meet his Vietnamese counterpart for wide-ranging talks on defence and security cooperation, including military exchanges, defence production, and regional security concerns. Vietnam is the first stop of his two-nation tour, after which he will travel to the Republic of Korea. In South Korea, discussions are expected to focus on defence manufacturing, industrial cooperation, and technology partnerships.

He is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with South Korean Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back to review ongoing cooperation and explore new areas of collaboration, along with discussions on regional and global issues of mutual interest. He will meet Defence Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) Minister Lee Yong-cheol and chair the India–Korea business roundtable. A joint inauguration of the Indian War Memorial with Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Kwon Oh-eul is planned for May 21.