This article outlines the political relationship between India and Viet Nam: how diplomatic relations were established, the Strategic and Comprehensive Strategic Partnerships, recent meetings between leaders and ministers, the dialogue mechanisms between the two governments, and parliamentary exchanges. It is based on the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) bilateral brief of May 2026. The brief spells the country "Vietnam", and that spelling is kept in names and quotations.

A Comprehensive Strategic Partnership

According to the MEA brief of May 2026, India and Vietnam share "traditionally close and warm bilateral relations" that are guided by the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries. The brief states that India is one of the first countries with which Vietnam entered into a Strategic Partnership, in 2007, and that this was also India's first Strategic Partnership within the ASEAN region.

Relations were elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in September 2016, during the Official Visit of the Prime Minister of India to Vietnam. They were elevated to an Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during the State Visit of General Secretary and President To Lam to India from 05 May to 07 May 2026. In a virtual Summit in December 2020, the leaders of the two countries adopted the "Joint Vision for Peace, Prosperity and People".

Early ties and diplomatic relations

The brief records that President Ho Chi Minh maintained active relations with India from the early years of independence. India was the Co-Chair of the International Commission for Supervision and Control, formed to monitor the Geneva Accords of 1954.

India initially maintained Consulate-level relations with the then North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and with South Vietnam. It established full diplomatic relations with Vietnam on 07 January 1972, and the two countries celebrated the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2022.

Recent high-level interactions

The brief describes regular high-level interactions between the two sides. The recent interactions it lists are:

  • PM-level interactions on the sidelines of the G20 Leaders' Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, in November 2025, the SCO Summit in China in September 2025 and the BRICS Summit in Brazil in July 2025
  • A meeting with the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam in New York on the sidelines of the 79th UNGA in September 2024
  • The visit of the Prime Minister of Vietnam to India in July-August 2024
  • Virtual participation by the Prime Minister of Vietnam in the 3rd Voice of the Global South Summit in August 2024
  • An in-person interaction in Hiroshima in May 2023 on the sidelines of the G7+

State Visit of the Prime Minister of Vietnam, 2024

The Prime Minister of Vietnam made a State Visit to India from 30 July to 01 August 2024. The two sides issued a Joint Statement and agreed a Plan of Action for implementing the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during 2024-2028, and eight other documents were signed.

During the visit, Vietnam announced that it was joining the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and the Coalition for Disaster Resilience Infrastructure (CDRI), as the brief names it.

Ministerial visits

External Affairs Minister (EAM) visited Vietnam in October 2023 to co-chair the India-Vietnam Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) on Economic, Trade, Scientific and Technological Cooperation. During the visit he met the Prime Minister and the Chairman of the Communist Party of Vietnam's External Relations Commission, and also visited Ho Chi Minh City.

Voice of Global South Summits

Vietnamese leaders have taken part in each of the first three Voice of Global South Summits hosted by India:

  • The then President, Mr. Nguyen Xuan Phuc, attended the inaugural Leaders' Session of the 1st summit in January 2023.
  • Former Foreign Minister Mr. Bui Thanh Son addressed the 2nd summit in November 2023.
  • The then Prime Minister, Mr. Pham Minh Chinh, virtually attended and addressed the inaugural Leaders' Session of the 3rd summit in August 2024.

Institutional mechanisms

The JCM on Economic, Trade, Scientific and Technological Cooperation is co-chaired by EAM and the Foreign Minister of Vietnam. The 18th JCM was held in October 2023 in Hanoi, where the two Ministers released a joint postage stamp on the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. The 19th JCM was co-chaired by External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam Mr. Le Hoai Trung in New Delhi on 14 September 2026.

The brief describes the Secretary-level Political Consultation (PC) and Strategic Dialogue (SD) as key frameworks for reviewing bilateral cooperation. The 13th PC and 10th SD were held in New Delhi in June 2025. The 4th meeting of the Policy Planning Dialogue was held in March 2025 in Hanoi.

Parliamentary exchanges

Parliamentary exchanges have taken place since December 2016 under the Cooperation Agreement between the Lok Sabha and Vietnam's National Assembly. The Chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam visited India in December 2021, and the Speaker of Lok Sabha visited Vietnam in April 2022. Vietnam's National Assembly Vice-Chairman visited India in March 2025.

In March 2026 India constituted an India-Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Group, with Shri Vishnu Dayal Ram, MP (Lok Sabha), as its President.