Delegates from 18 regional countries and territories gathered in Hanoi on July 7, discussing the agenda for the 7 th Meeting of Chiefs of Asian Coast Guards.

They exchanged views on their programme and documents and initiatives to be submitted to the meeting, which was scheduled for October this year in Vietnam .

Vietnam proposed a number of measures, including the one on human resources training to boost cooperation among regional countries’ maritime law enforcement agencies.

Lieut. Gen. Pham Duc Linh, Head of the Coast Guard Department of the Defence Ministry, said the 7 th Meeting of Chiefs of Asian Coast Guards provided an opportunity for Vietnam to contribute to boosting cooperation among Asian maritime law enforcement agencies for security and safety at sea and for peace, security and stability in the region and the world.

He added that the Vietnam coast guard force was ready to participate in joint activities, including joint patrols to fight transnational crime, establish a hotline to solve problems at sea, engage in search and rescue, and exchange visits and information in the field.

Participants to the event were from Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam./.