![]() Kumar hoped the Vietnam Navy would use the warship to “safeguard their national maritime interests, contribute to regional security and foster peace and stability”. This was the first time India provided a fully operational warship with its weapons complement to a friendly country, especially one whose maritime forces have repeatedly engaged in face-offs with Chinese vessels in the South China Sea. On July 22, the Indian Navy chief, Admiral R Hari Kumar, presided over the ceremony where the missile corvette INS Kirpan was gifted to Vietnam. Marape said he hoped the visit would lead to more collaboration between the armed forces of the two sides. The visit of the warships followed a trip to Port Moresby in May by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a summit of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC). Similar receptions aboard other foreign warships were usually attended by only the defence minister or other officials, the people said. People familiar with the matter said diplomatic circles in Papua New Guinea were surprised when a reception held aboard INS Sahyadri, a multi-role frigate, and INS Kolkata, a guided-missile destroyer, at Port Moresby on August 3 was attended by Prime Minister James Marape and almost the entire cabinet. India has also gifted an active duty missile corvette to Vietnam, another Southeast Asian country involved in a long-standing territorial dispute with China, and sent two military aircraft to Australia’s Cocos Keeling Islands for exercises aimed at enhancing inter-operability between the armed forces of the two countries. The visit of the warships followed a trip to Port Moresby in May by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a summit of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (HT File Photo/Sanjeev Verma) NEW DELHI: From sending two warships on a voyage of more than 5,500 nautical miles for a visit to Papua New Guinea to backing the Philippines in a territorial dispute with China, India has in recent weeks signalled a larger role for itself in the Indo-Pacific. ![]()
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