Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh speaks at the meeting with the Vietnam MRCC on February 8. (Photo: VNA) He spoke highly of the centre’scooperation with other forces, including the naval, fisheries resources surveillance,and coast guard forces, as well as fishermen, to save people in distress at seawithin the shortest periods of time.
Another great duty of the MRCCand relevant forces is to defend the country’s maritime sovereignty, the DeputyPM noted, adding Vietnam possesses considerable sovereignty and sovereign rightsat sea, and that safeguarding maritime sovereignty is the common responsibilityof all forces.
Given this, he requested theMinistry of Transport consider the proposal for enhancing the search, rescue,and sovereignty defence capacity.
MRCC General Director Bui VanMinh said the maritime rescue force acts as the coordinator of search and rescueactivities in sea areas of Vietnam and has also taken part in rescue operationsin international waters.
During 2016 - 2021, it dealtwith over 3,200 incident reports, sent specialised vehicles for search andrescue purposes for 432 times, and directly saved 5,450 people and 446 boats indistress at sea, including 215 people and 11 vehicles of foreign nationalities.
Notably, they directlyconducted rescue operations in 68 cases in the vicinity of Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel)and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos during the period./.
VNA
