VietNamNet Bridge - A Japanese coast guard ship, the JCGS Yashima, led by Coast Guard Superintendent Akihiro Hirano, will pay a friendly visit to the central city of Da Nang on May 10-14, said the Foreign Affairs Department of Da Nang on Tuesday.

The vessel will dock at the Port of Tien Sa.

During the five-day visit, the ship and its  130 crew members will exchange experiences with Vietnam coast guards, take part in sporting competition and seminars on search and rescue operations at sea.

A workshop on search and rescue exercise between the Vietnamese and Japanese Coast Guard will be held. The two sides will join a marine search and rescue rehearsal on the afternoon of May 14, before the ship left the port of Tien Sa.

The 130m-long JCGS Yashima was put into operation in 1988 and has a capacity of 5,200 tons. It is equipped with 35mm and 20mm Vulcan guns, as well as a Bell 412 helicopter.

The Japanese Coast Guard and the Vietnamese Coast Guard have strengthened cooperation in recent years. Last month two Japanese ships, the KIRISAME and the ASAYUKI, with 500 crew members, docked at Tien Sa port and had an exchange with Vietnam’s navy.

Le Ha