The defence and security ties between the two countries have witnessed a steady growth in the recent years

India and Vietnam on Tuesday held their second maritime security dialogue in a virtual format and exchanged views on developments in the domain of maritime security, regional cooperation activities and opportunities for cooperation between the two countries.

“The consultations involved exchanges on developments in the domain of maritime security, regional cooperation activities and opportunities for cooperation between the two countries,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

The defence and security ties between the two countries have witnessed steady expansion.

In December 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a virtual summit with his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc during which both sides vowed to boost overall defence and security cooperation, including in the maritime sphere.

In the wake of growing military muscle-flexing by China in the South China Sea region, the two leaders had specifically reaffirmed the importance of maintaining freedom of navigation and over flight in the South China Sea.

Vietnam, an important country of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), has territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea region. China claims sovereignty over all of the South China Sea, a huge source of hydrocarbons. However, several ASEAN member countries, including Vietnam, Philippines and Brunei, have counter claims