Indian Coast Guard Ship Reaches Vietnam On Overseas Deployment

As part of its continued deployment to ASEAN countries, the Indian Coast Guard’s Pollution Control Vessel (PCV) Samudra Paheredar arrived at Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh port on Tuesday. This was announced in a statement by the Indian Coast Guard.

It is part of the India-ASEAN Initiative for Marine Pollution that an ICG expert ship is visiting ASEAN countries. This was announced by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in 2022 at the ASEAN Defence Minister Plus Meeting in Cambodia.

The crew of the ICGS Samudra Paheredar will have professional meetings for three days. The meetings will focus on Marine Pollution Response (MPR), Maritime Search and Rescue (M-SAR), and Maritime Law Enforcement. Cross-deck training, Subject Matter Expert Exchanges, sports events, and the Passage Exercise (PASSEX) with the Vietnam Coast Guard are some of the things that are done.

“Make in India” and “Atamnirbhar Bharat” are supported by the visit, which is also meant to improve ties between the Indian Coast Guard and its Vietnamese counterparts.

Along with this, 25 National Cadet Corps (NCC) members on the ICGS Samudra Paheredar will help with the “Puneet Sagar Abhiyan” project of the Government of India by taking part in a walkathon and beach cleanup.

The Indian Coast Guard and the Vietnam Coast Guard have had a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) since 2015. This made it official for the two marine agencies to work together.

The Indian Coast Guard is committed to strengthening bilateral ties and increasing international cooperation with Foreign Friendly Countries (FFCs). This overseas deployment is in line with the terms of the MoU.

Before Ho Chi Minh, the ICGS Samudra Paheredar went to Manila, Philippines. This showed that international maritime activities in the ASEAN region were still going strong.

The statement says that the trip to Vietnam is important for strengthening relationships between the two countries with important maritime partners. These relationships are important for keeping the seas in the area safe, secure, and environmentally friendly while also dealing with current maritime problems.

“India’s shared concern and resolve towards Marine Pollution is reflected in the deployment of ICGS Samudra Paheredar to the ASEAN region,” the statement said. “This is in line with India’s maritime vision, which is summed up in “SAGAR: Security and Growth for All in the Region.”