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Naval Captain Francois Maignan |
French Navy’s cruiser Prairial paid a courtesy visit on Hai Phong city from April 2 to 6. Talking with the Vietnamese press before leaving Chua Ve port, Naval Captain Maignan underscored the reliability of the Vietnam People’s Navy. “Therefore, we usually visit Vietnam,” he added. This was the fourth time that the Prairial has visited Vietnam so far.
According to the French officer, during her journey from the Gulf of Tonkin to Chua Ve Port, the ship met with Vietnamese law enforcement forces at sea, including the Vietnam People’s Navy, Vietnam Coast Guard, and Vietnam Border Guard. Vietnam’s maritime forces are elite and always present at sea, he underlined.
In the framework of the visit to Hai Phong city, in addition to sharing experience, they also joined exchanges to promote ties with the Vietnamese naval troops, so as to better perform joint training.
For his part, French Ambassador to Vietnam Nicolas Warnery noted that, this was the first visit of the French naval ship to Vietnam after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam - France diplomatic ties (1973-2023) and the ten years of their strategic partnership (2013-2023). The diplomat affirmed that the French naval ship’s visit to Vietnam contributed to boosting the bilateral defense cooperation.
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French Ambassador to Vietnam Nicolas Warnery |
He added that France has assisted Vietnam in its peacekeeping force’s training and education task, so as to conduct the missions of the U.N. and the European Union (E.U.). The French side has also sent a liaison officer to work in the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations.
“In addition to the aforementioned fields, we would like to boost cooperation in the two other fields, namely military medicine and hydrography. At the same time, France will continue to welcome Vietnamese officers to study in French military schools. In order to be able to study in France, the French Military Attaché Office in Vietnam, in collaboration with the Vietnamese side, regularly organizes French language classes in Hanoi,” told Ambassador Warnery.
Here are some photos during the French naval ship's visit to Hai Phong city.
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The ship has a length of 93.5m, a width of 14m, and a tonnage of 2.950 tons. The ship has a Dauphin (Dolphin) helicopter on board. |
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French naval officer beside a helicopter named “Dolphin” |
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Helicopter hangar on the Prairial |
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A French naval officer introducing the command cabin on the Prairial |
Translated by Minh Anh