Japanese coast guard ship Settsu docks at Tiên Sa Port at the start of its six-day visit to Đà Nẵng City for the 50th anniversary of Japan-Việt Nam diplomatic ties in 2023. VNA/VNS Photos

ĐÀ NẴNG — The Japanese coast guard vessel Settsu, under the leadership of Captain Colonel Niwa Satoshi and with a crew of 52, docked for a six-day visit to Đà Nẵng on February 13th.

The voyage marks the first in a series of events to celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Việt Nam.

The Settsu, which had been on a one-month anti-pirate patrol, will engage in a series of exchanges with the local government, Việt Nam's coast guard, and the Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre No. 2 based in Đà Nẵng.

Captain Satoshi expressed his gratitude for the warm welcome the ship received upon its arrival at Tiên Sa Port in Đà Nẵng, noting that Việt Nam was the first stop on the ship's post-COVID-19 international exchange trip.

He said the trip also aims to celebrate the friendship between Japan and Việt Nam and strengthen the close ties between the two countries on the 50th anniversary.

The Japanese captain said two coast guard forces of Việt Nam and Japan would host a joint search and rescue exercise on February 18, the last day of the visit. 

The voyage marks the first in a series of events to celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Việt Nam.

 He said cooperation in search and rescue training and education had been maintained by the two coast guard forces, ensuring safe traffic in the sea around Việt Nam and the Indian and Pacific oceans.

In 2019, the Japanese coast guard ship Kojima also paid a visit to Đà Nẵng – the fourth trip between 2013-19.

Việt Nam and Japan are members of the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) and the Heads of Asian Coast Guard Agencies Meeting (HACGAM) and have closely co-operated to improve maritime law enforcement.

Last year, Japan officially upgraded its Consulate Office in Đà Nẵng City to a Consulate-General to boost trade, tourism, investment and relationship ties with the central city and the entire central region.

Đà Nẵng was the first city in central Việt Nam to promote cooperation with Japanese partners in high-quality human resources training.

The annual Japan-Việt Nam Cultural Exchange Day has been held in Đà Nẵng and Hội An since 2012. — VNS