Indonesian naval ships start four-day visit to Ho Chi Minh City

Two Indonesian warships docked at Ho Chi Minh City's Nha Rong Port on Wednesday to start a four-day visit to the southern metropolis.

The corvettes KRI Sultan Hasanuddin (366) and KRI Sultan Iskandar Muda (367) carry a total of 53 officers and 130 sailors led by Lieutenant Colonel Sumarji Bimoaji, commander of the KRI Sultan Iskandar Muda, according to Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper.

Upon arrival, the crews were welcomed by representatives of the Vietnamese Navy, the 7th Military Region, the Ministry of National Defense's Foreign Relations Department and diplomatic and military officials from HCMC.

During the visit, the ships' crews will participate in exchanges with units from the 7th  Military Region and the Vietnamese Navy to enhance understanding between the two countries' military forces. The crews will also take part in sport events with staff and students from Vietnam's Naval Technical College and Naval Academy.

Speaking at the welcoming ceremony, Colonel Ha Xuan Xu of the Vietnamese Navy wished the crews a successful visit and said he hoped to further strengthen the friendly relations between the two countries' armies and navies, Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reported.

In return the Indonesian commanders thanked their Vietnamese hosts for the warm welcome and said the visit would promote the comprehensive partnership between the two countries.

The KRI Sultan Hasanuddin and KRI Sultan Iskandar Muda are both Sigma-class corvettes with a length of 90.71 meters (297.6 feet) and a beam of 13.02 meters. They were commissioned in 2007 and 2008, respectively.