Indian coast guard ship arrives in central Vietnam for four-day visit

ICGS Vijit docked at Tien Sa Port on Monday for a four-day visit with a crew of 95 officers and sailors.

The visitors will make courtesy calls on local leaders, participate in sports activities with their Vietnamese counterparts, visit My Son Sanctuary in the neighboring Quang Nam Province and other scenic spots around Da Nang.

Indian citizens living in Da Nang and nearby provinces can visit ICGS Vijit for a tour of the ship.

The vessel will take part in a joint search and rescue exercise at sea with Vietnamese coast guard vessels on Thursday.

According to a spokesperson for ICGS Vijit, the visit to Vietnam is meant to strengthen maritime cooperation between the two countries' coast guards and to contribute positively to security and stability in the region as well as the world.

This is the fourth visit by an Indian Coast Guard ship to Da Nang. Last October Vietnamese Coast Guard vessel CSB 8001 paid a four-day visit to the Indian city of Chennai and held exercises off its coast.

Long-standing allies Vietnam and India established diplomatic relations in 1972.