Young Southeast Asian and Japanese pasengers of the ship. (Photo: VNA) HCM City (VNA) – After docking in HCM City for five days, a ship carrying 322 young people from the 10 ASEAN countries and Japan set sail on November 21.
Locals bid farewell to the regional representatives during a ceremony at Cat Lai Port.
The 2015 Ship for Southeast Asian and Japanese Youth Programme, the 42nd of its kind, left Tokyo on November 5 and docked in the Philippines before arriving in Vietnam.
It is now heading for Myanmar, Laos and Malaysia, and then returning to Japan for some final ceremonies.
Launched in 1974 after a statement was issued by Japan and Southeast Asian countries, the programme aims to promote friendship and mutual understanding among the participating nations, broaden their perspectives on the world and strengthen their spirit of international cooperation.
Vietnam joined the programme in 1995 and has thus far sent 600 passengers on board. The ship has docked at the southern hub 13 times since then.-VNA
