Singaporean naval ship visits Vietnam
Monday, March 21, 2016, 17:13 GMT+7
Officers and sailors aboard a Singaporean naval vessel arrived Thursday morning at an international seaport in south-central Vietnam, beginning their official visit to the country.
The RSS Endurance, carrying a crew of 81 Singaporean navy sailors led by Lieutenant Colonel Noel Chen Xin Yi, was scheduled to pay a friendly visit from March 17 to 21 as part of their offshore training.
Representatives of the visiting naval delegation met with leaders of the Khanh Hoa Province People’s Committee yesterday afternoon.
The ship is the first vessel to dock at the Cam Ranh international seaport since its inauguration on March 8.
Built in 2000, the RSS Endurance is 141 meters in length, 21 meters wide, and can simultaneously monitor up to 50 targets, according to Lt. Col. Noel Chen.
The visit of the Singaporean naval asset was conducted against the backdrop of new developments in Vietnamese-Singaporean general and defense cooperation.
The two nations successfully organized the seventh Vietnam-Singapore Defense Policy Dialogue in Singapore on February 29, affirming their commitment to strengthen wide-ranging defense cooperation and further contribute to their bilateral strategic partnership.
The visit is considered one of the practical measures to realize the agreements reached by defense leaders of the two countries, contributing to the effective collaboration between the Vietnamese and Singaporean navy.
The crew members plan to participate in a diplomatic conversation with the 4th Regional Command of the Vietnam People’s Navy, stop by several famous landmarks in the province, and partake in friendly sports competitions with their Vietnamese counterparts.
The Cam Ranh international port is aimed at providing maritime services for international military and civilian ships at Cam Ranh Military Base, strengthening ties with other nations’ naval forces to improve Vietnam’s regional and global position, and safeguarding peace and order in the East Vietnam Sea.
For 2016, the seaport will focus mainly on three sectors: maritime services, repair and maintenance services, and travel services.
