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Speakers at the first discussion on competition and conflict at sea |
The event was attended by Chief of the Indian Navy Admiral Hari Kumar, ambassadors and naval representatives of the 39 countries participating in MILAN 2022. Vietnamese Ambassador to India Pham Sanh Chau and the VPN delegation led by Senior Captain Nguyen Van Ngan, Deputy Chief of Staff of Naval Region 4, took part in the seminar.
In his opening speech, Admiral Hari Kumar emphasized that the seminar was an opportunity for participating navies to share their views on issues of common concern, discuss measures to respond to emerging challenges, promote cooperation, strengthen mutual understanding, and consolidate trust.
The Indian official affirmed that no countries can singlehandedly deal with the rising issues and challenges related to navigation security and safety such as terrorism, piracy, weapon smuggling, and marine pollution. Therefore, navies should boost coordination and cooperation for the sake of regional and international stability, development, and cooperation.
During the two-day events with four discussions, speakers shared viewpoints about the changes in sea-related competitions and disputes, capacity building towards common navigation security, surmounting non-traditional maritime challenges through cooperation, and maritime transparency.
They also shared their opinions on the competition and the possibility of conflict in the Indo-Pacific. They stressed the need for stronger cooperation for common interests, especially the importance of respecting international law and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982. They agreed that navies should promote cooperation in the coming time since their countries have many shared interests at sea and face common challenges related to navigation security and safety.
The participation of Ambassador Pham Sanh Chau and the Vietnamese delegation in the seminar demonstrated the country’s responsibility as an active member that is ready to cooperate with others for common interests as well as for maritime stability, safety, and security in the region and the world.
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Ambassadors and naval representatives of participating countries at the seminar |
Within the MILAN 2022, VPN’s delegation sent two officers to participate in a multilateral young officer exchange program held on vessels Sudarshini and Tarangini.
During the event on February 26 and 27, young officers learned about the Indian Navy’s training program of vessel’s crew-members and shared each country’s training programs of young officers. They also participated in a vessel training session and practiced mobilizing ships on a simulated system.
On the occasion of the 75th Indian National Day and the 50th anniversary of the foundation day of the Eastern Fleet of the Indian Navy, a fleet review was held on February 27 with the participation of more than 1,000 officers and sailors from 21 countries joining MILAN 2022.
Reported by My Hanh – Linh Oanh (From Visakhapatnam, India)
Translated by Tran Hoai