At a reception for Kobayashi Yosuke, Chief Representative of the JICA Office in Vietnam in Hanoi on June 5, Lieutenant General Le Quang Dao, Commander of the Vietnam Coast Guard expressed confidence in the Japanese official’s continued contributions to fostering the strong partnership between the two countries, particularly between the Vietnam Coast Guard and its Japanese counterpart.

The two sides discussed cooperation areas and potential in maritine law enforcement, with an emphasis on enhancing maritime safety and security.

A major focus of the discussions was the progress of the project “Maritime Security and Safety Capacity Improvement Project” in Vietnam, which includes the building of six patrol vessels for the Vietnam Coast Guard, funded by Japanese ODA loans.

Both parties affirmed their commitment to working closely to accelerate project implementation and improve Vietnam’s maritime law enforcement capabilities.

With regard to the non-project cooperation programme on training and capacity building for the Vietnam Coast Guard, they agreed to hold two training courses in 2025, one from September 7–13 at the Command of the Coast Guard Region 3, and the other from December 7–13 at the Command of the Coast Guard Region 1.

Lt. Gen. Dao highlighted the strong and growing relationship between the JICA Vietnam Office and the Vietnam Coast Guard, noting that their practical and effective cooperation has deepened over time.

He expressed hope that, in his role as Chief Representative of the office, Kobayashi will continue to promote cooperation principle between the two sides.

Vietnam, China Coast Guards conduct joint patrol in Gulf of Tonkin

The Vietnam and China Coast Guard forces conducted their first joint patrol of 2025 in the northern waters of the Gulf of Tonkin on February 27.