The Vietnam Coast Guard is holding a friendship exchange in Hanoi from December 8-11 with the participation of 500.

The VCG High Command and THAI-MECC delegations. Photo: canhsatbien.vn

The Vietnam Coast Guard (VCG) High Command held bilateral meetings with the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre (THAI-MECC) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) in Hanoi on December 8, as part of the first 2022 exchange programme “Vietnam coast guards and friends”, VNA reported.

The VCG High Command and THAI-MECC shared a view that over the past years, the two forces have regularly shared information and sent letters to each other informing joint sea patrols in the territorial waters between Vietnam and Thailand to promptly discover violations related to illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and dealt with contingencies at sea.

The VCG High Command and the PCG have also stepped up bilateral and multilateral cooperation activities, shared information about the situation at sea and the fight against piracy and armed robbery at sea in Asia.

VCG Commander Maj. Gen. Le Quang Dao hoped that the VCG and law enforcement forces at sea of the countries would continue information sharing and cooperation activities, contributing to ensuring security, safety, stability and development in the territorial waters of the regional countries.

VCG Commander Maj. Gen. Le Quang Dao and Coast Guard Vice Admiral Rolando Lizor N Punzalan Jr., Deputy Commander for Administration, Philippine Coast Guard, co-chaired the meeting. Photo: canhsatbien.vn

The same day, a delegation from the China Coast Guard (CCG) led by its Director Maj. Gen Yu Zhong held a working session with the High Command of VCG Region 1.

At the event, Commander of the VCG Region 1 Col. Tran Van Tho briefed his guests about outstanding cooperation activities between the CCG and VCG that were held by the VCG Region 1 since they signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in 2016.

Accordingly, both sides have regularly shared information and held biannual joint patrols in the waters adjacent to the demarcation line in the Gulf of Tonkin. They also held friendship exchanges of delegations and young officers, contributing to further deepening ties between the two forces.

Tho suggested that with permission from their superiors, the VCG Region 1 and its CCG counterpart would continue with joint activities next year and subsequent years, including joint patrols at sea, professional exchanges, inspection of fishing vessels, search and rescue, drills against terrorism, human and drug trafficking, and promoting the establishment of a communication line between the VCG Region 1 and CCG’s Nanhai bureau.

Yu vowed to create conditions for the two units to share information related to law enforcement and professional expertise, thus fostering bilateral friendship and solidarity.

He believed that via the visit, ties between the CCG and VCG, and between the High Command of VCG Region 1 and CCG’s Nanhai bureau, will be closer.

CCG delegation visit Vietnam Coast Guard Region 1. Photo: VNA

Earlier, on December 7, the coast guard forces of the two countries held high-level talks on promoting cooperation in maritime law enforcement in the region.

In 2023, the two sides will continue to follow the important common perceptions reached by the leaders of the two Parties and countries in the "MoU on cooperation between the Vietnam Coast Guard Command and the China Coast Guard, respect the two countries' requirements for Covid-19 prevention and control, and renew and expand cooperation forms.

The agencies will organise two joint patrols in the waters adjacent to the demarcation line in the Gulf of Tonkin, professional exchanges, and search and rescue exercises.

Every month, the two sides will notify each other of information related to violations of fishing vessels, and promptly handle incidents arising at sea. They will also work to restart visits of the coast guard ships to each other, and exchanges of young officers.

Participating foreign forces in the first “Vietnam Coast Guard and friends” exchange program, consist of those from Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand.

The VCG has so far signed cooperation pacts with equivalent law enforcement agencies of nine countries – China, the US, Japan, the Republic of Korea, India, Cambodia, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

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