HANOI: International arms industry players vied for Vietnam’s defence dollars at a recent expo, as the country seeks to shift away from its reliance on Russia for weaponry.
Over 200 firms from 30 countries including China, Russia, United States, Iran, Israel and India took part in the event which ended on Sunday (Dec 22).
Vietnam’s defence ministry, which organised the event, said that over US$286 million worth of deals were signed by local businesses, double the value signed in the last edition in 2022. Seventeen cooperation agreements were inked in total.
However, the event’s success was not just about the business aspect, said Nguyen Khac Giang, visiting fellow at Singapore’s ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute’s Vietnam Studies Programme.
“Organising the expo is not about having more contracts for Vietnam … (It’s) showing that Vietnam is willing to work with many other partners around the world,” he told CNA’s East Asia Tonight on Monday.
Given the ongoing tensions between some countries that attended – including Iran-Israel, US-China and US-Russia – the event showcased Vietnam’s diplomatic capability, he added.
