The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and Vietnam Coast Guard (VCG) on Friday conducted a joint maritime exercise in Manila Bay as part of the five-day port visit of Hanoi’s ship.
Search and rescue, fire and explosion prevention training, and passing exercise were held, according to the PCG.
The activity aims to enhance the interoperability and operational readiness of the two coast guards as active member states of ASEAN Coast Guard Forum (ACF)
After the welcome ceremony on Monday, VCG’s Region 2 Vice Commander Colonel Hoang Quoc Dat paid a courtesy call on PCG Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan to talk about shared goals and future partnerships.
The VCG delegation went to the National Maritime Center and the BRP Melchora Aquino (MRRV 9702). They also engaged in friendly sports activities with their Philippine counterparts.
According to the Vietnamese Defense Ministry, the visit of VCG ship CSB 8002 was of “profound political significance” because this promotes comprehensive cooperation and improves law enforcement ability at sea.
This also contributes to the maintenance of peace, stability, security, and safety in the region, it added.
In January 2024, the Philippine and Vietnamese Coast Guards signed a memorandum of understanding establishing a joint Coast Guard committee and a hotline communication mechanism.
In July, Vietnam filed a claim with the United Nations for an extended continental shelf beyond the current 200 nautical miles in the South China Sea.
The Philippines also filed the same claim in June.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said it is “ready to engage Vietnam on possible ways forward that would help achieve a mutually beneficial solution to South China Sea issues in accordance with international law, particularly UNCLOS.”
“We acknowledge Vietnam’s right, as a coastal State like the Philippines, to submit information to establish the outer limits of their continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles from the relevant and lawful baselines from which its territorial sea is measured, as provided for under UNCLOS,” the DFA added. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News
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