According to the jointly coordinated schedule, the visit was to include courtesy calls, a bilateral conference, joint training activities, as well as sports and cultural exchanges. However, during the stay of Ship 8002 in the host country, after reporting to higher authorities, Major General Tran Quang Tuan, Commander of Coast Guard Region 2 and head of the Vietnamese delegation, decided to cancel several activities in the official program. The decision was made so that the ship and its crew could participate in supporting local authorities and people of the Philippines who were suffering severe damage caused by Typhoon Bualoi and an earthquake.
    |
 |
|
The Vietnam Coast Guard provides food, drinking water, and medicines to residents of Cebu Province, the Philippines, in October 2025. |
As a result, officers and crew-members of Ship 8002 actively joined efforts to clean up the environment, while medical personnel of the Vietnam Coast Guard provided free medical examinations and medicines to more than 500 local residents affected by the disasters in Cebu Province. The Vietnamese delegation also decided to allocate one ton of rice, along with 20 boxes of emergency rations and bottled drinking water from the ship’s reserve supplies to assist people in the disaster-hit areas of the Philippines.
|
|
 |
|
The medical personnel of the Vietnam Coast Guard provide free medical examinations and medicines to people affected by the typhoon and earthquake in Cebu Province, the Philippines, October 2025. |
These meaningful humanitarian actions deeply moved Ms. Pamela Baricuatro, Governor of Cebu Province, who said emotionally, “The authorities and people of Cebu will always remember your noble acts. You are like envoys helping to build bridges of friendship between the governments and peoples of the Philippines and Vietnam.”
Earlier, in November 2024, a Vietnam Coast Guard delegation undertook a long and challenging voyage aboard Ship 8004 of Coast Guard Region 1, repeatedly encountering storms and rough seas, forcing the ship to alter course and seek shelter in order to reach the Republic of Korea for a visit and joint training activities. Despite hardships, the delegation successfully fulfilled all assigned tasks and made a strong impression on its partners.
|
|
 |
|
The officers and personnel of the Korea Coast Guard welcome Ship 8004 and the Vietnam Coast Guard delegation during their visit in November 2024. |
Speaking to the Vietnamese delegation, Superintendent General Han Sang Chul, President of the Korea Coast Guard Academy, emphasized, “The Vietnam Coast Guard is a force that keeps its promises. You courageously navigated through five consecutive major storms over a voyage of more than 2,500 nautical miles to reach the Republic of Korea. Moreover, you are not only highly professional during joint training, but also talented in cultural performances and excellent at cooking. The exchange banquet on the deck of Ship 8004 helped us better understand Vietnam’s traditions, culture, cuisine, and warm hospitality.”
Sharing his perspective, Lieutenant General Bui Quoc Oai, Political Commissar of the Vietnam Coast Guard, affirmed that external relations and international cooperation aimed at maintaining peaceful, friendly, and sustainable seas for Vietnam are of paramount importance. Fully aware of this, the Vietnam Coast Guard Command consistently and thoroughly implement the guidelines and policies of the Party, the State, the Central Military Commission, and the directives of the Ministry of National Defense.
|
|
 |
|
Vietnam Coast Guard soldiers conduct underwater search-and-rescue training with personnel of the Korea Coast Guard in November 2024. |
Accordingly, the Vietnam Coast Guard has actively promoted external relations and international cooperation in a systematic and effective manner. These efforts include studying organizational models of coast guard forces in other countries; dispatching delegations and vessels to partner nations for exchanges, experience sharing, joint training, and joint patrols; and welcoming numerous foreign maritime law enforcement vessels visiting Vietnam.
To date, the Vietnam Coast Guard has signed cooperation agreements with maritime law enforcement agencies of nine countries and continues to promote further cooperation with other partners. Through these activities, the Vietnam Coast Guard has gradually affirmed its role and position on the international stage, demonstrating itself as an active, responsible member, ready to contribute to peace, security, safety, and sustainable development of regional and global seas.
Translated by Trung Thanh