The Philippine Navy reported on Tuesday that its Flag Officer in Command, Vice Admiral Toribio Adaci, Jr., made a three-day visit to the Vietnam People’s Navy from August 6-9, 2024.
Adaci and other Philippine Navy officials, paid a courtesy call to the Deputy General Staff to the Vietnam People’s Navy, Lt. Gen. Nguyen Trong Binh, and the Vietnam People’s Navy Commander in Chief, Vice Admiral Thran Than Nghiem.
The Philippine Navy delegation also visited the 679th Brigade of Naval Region 1, VPN, where a briefing and demonstration of live fire drill of the 4K44 Redut-M coastal defense system were performed by the 679th Brigade personnel.
The three-day interaction of the two ASEAN navies highlighted the enduring relationship between the countries.
Sharing a common interest in safeguarding maritime domains and maintaining regional stability, the Philippines and Vietnam navies have maintained a decades-long history of cooperation through engagements, activities, and personnel exchanges.
“Recognizing the dependence of their large populations on marine resources, both nations have reaffirmed their commitment to protect the livelihoods of their fisherfolks in common maritime areas in the West Philippine Sea,” Philippine Navy Spokesperson Commander John Percie Alcos said.
Last week, the Philippine and Vietnamese coast guards held firefighting and search-and-rescue exercises off Manila, the first such drills between the two countries with maritime disputes with Beijing in the South China Sea.
The Philippines and Vietnam both claim part of the strategic waterway’s Spratly archipelago, but said the drills at the mouth of Manila Bay contributed to maintaining peace and stability in the contested sea. –With Agence France Presse
