Vietnam Coast Guard attends 18th ReCAAP ISC Governing Council Meeting

Singapore (VNA) – Vietnam has showed its responsibility in participating in the ReCAAP Agreement and effectively combating maritime crimes, affirmed Major General Vu Trung Kien, Deputy Commander in charge of law of the Vietnam Coast Guard (VCG) at the 18th ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre (ISC) Governing Council Meeting in Singapore on March 13.

The meeting saw the participation of members of the governing council, officials from 21 member countries of the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP), and guest delegates from 10 maritime organisations, shipping associations, international and regional research institutes.

In his remarks, Kien underscored the need for countries to enhance awareness of the overall situation and instability in maritime security caused by piracy and armed robbery at sea.

It is important to continue timely and effective cooperation and information sharing, and to enhance coordination among countries and with the ReCAAP ISC to ensure security and safety across all maritime routes regionally and globally, he said.

On the sidelines of the function, the VCG delegation held meetings with leaders of law enforcement forces at sea from the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and India, exchanging information and coordinating efforts to combat various crimes and protect the marine environment.

In particular, Vietnam reiterated its significant efforts to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities and urged partners to cooperate with and assist the country in quickly getting the "yellow card" warning imposed on Vietnamese seafood products by the European Commission lifted./.