The ship CSB 8005 of Coast Guard Region No. 3 Command under the Việt Nam Coast Guard starts its official visit to India on December 3. — Photo Courtesy of Việt Nam Coast Guard

BÀ RỊA - VŨNG TÀU — The ship CSB 8005 of Coast Guard Region No. 3 Command under the Việt Nam Coast Guard (VCG) started its official visit to India on Tuesday (December 3).

The Coast Guard Region 3 Command based in Bà Rịa - Vũng Tàu Province held a send-off ceremony for the ship carrying its working delegation to India led by its Deputy Commander Colonel Nguyễn Minh Khánh.

Speaking at the ceremony, Major General Ngô Bình Minh, Commander of the Việt Nam Coast Guard Region No. 3 Command, said this one-week visit to India is an international cooperation activity of political and diplomatic significance.

“It contributes to fostering and deepening the robust ties between Việt Nam and India, as well as between their law enforcement forces at sea,” he said.

During the visit, the delegation will engage in various exchange activities with their Indian counterparts, including courtesy meetings with local Indian authorities and leaders of the Indian Coast Guard’s Western Region, and cultural and sports exchanges.

Both sides will engage in joint exercises covering search and rescue operations, firefighting, and oil spill responses.

Major General Ngô Bình Minh, Commander of the Coast Guard Region No. 3 Command, gives a speech at the send-off ceremony for ship CSB 8005 starting its visit to India on December 3. — Photo Courtesy of Việt Coast Guard

In April, the ship CSB 8005 and the pollution control vessel Samudra Paheredar of the Indian Coast Guard conducted a joint exercise on the waters off the coast of Bà Rịa - Vũng Tàu Province.

The Indian vessel Samudra Paheredar, with a crew of 120 sailors led by Captain Sudhir Ravindran, arrived at HCM City Port on April 2 for a four-day visit to the city.

The Coast Guard Region No. 3 Command is tasked with managing the sea from Cù Lao Xanh Island in the coastal south-central province of Bình Định to the northern bank of Định An estuary in the Mekong Delta province of Trà Vinh, including the waters of the Trường Sa (Spratly) Islands and DK1 rigs.

Over the past years, it has completed its task of protecting the nation's sovereignty and enforcing the law at sea. — VNS