Coast guard forces of Vietnam, Japan share experience

The Vietnam Coast Guard delegation visits patrol vessel SETTSU of the Japan Coast Guard on October 5. (Photo: qdnd.vn)

Hanoi (VNA) – A delegation of the Vietnam Coast Guard (VCG) visited the Osaka Bay marine traffic centre and patrol vessel SETTSU of the Japan Coast Guard (JCG) on October 5.

The activity was part of an exchange visit to Kobe city by the VCG’s vessel CSB 8004, the Quan doi Nhan dan (People’s Army) daily reported.

At the Osaka Bay marine traffic centre, Kono Minoru, deputy commander of the centre, introduced the centre’s system for managing and monitoring waterway vehicles on the bay to the VCG delegation.

This centre is responsible for providing support information and managing the flows of vessels on Osaka Bay to ensure traffic safety, protect the marine environment, and protect equipment and facilities at sea from incidents caused by vessel operations.

The VCG delegation and crewmembers of patrol vessel SETTSU pose for a group photo. (Photo: qdnd.vn)

The same day, the VCG delegation visited patrol vessel SETTSU, which is 105.4m long, 14.6m wide and 29m high at the maximum, and has the maximum speed of 18 nautical miles per hour. The 3,304 DWT ship with 50 crewmembers is in charge of conducting patrols to prevent piracy and armed robbery. It also engaged in an exchange visit with the VCG in Vietnam’s central city of Da Nang in February 2023.

Leading the VCG delegation, Col. Le Thanh Hai, Deputy Commander of Coast Guard Region 1, said that he hopes the visit to the Osaka Bay marine traffic centre and vessel SETTSU would help the Vietnamese side gain precious experience in safeguarding maritime safety and security, and improving the capacity of deploying vessels to perform tasks.

This was also a good chance for the two sides to share maritime law enforcement experience and enhance cooperation and mutual understanding, he added./.

VNA