The Vietnamese Navy is very reliable!

The Prairial cruiser recently made a courtesy visit to Hai Phong city from April 2 to 6. Speaking to the Vietnamese press before the ship left Chua Ve port (Hai Phong city), Colonel Maignan emphasized: "The Vietnam People's Navy is a very reliable force. Therefore, we regularly organize visits to Vietnam." According to Colonel Maignan, this is the fourth time the Prairial has made a courtesy visit to Vietnam and the second time the ship has visited Hai Phong city.

Colonel Maignan said that during the journey from the Gulf of Tonkin to Chua Ve port, the Prairial encountered Vietnamese maritime law enforcement forces, from the Navy to the Coast Guard and Border Guard. "It can be said that Vietnam's maritime forces are very well-organized and always have a permanent presence offshore," Colonel Maignan emphasized.

During the visit to Hai Phong City, in addition to professional exchanges, officers and crew of the Prairial ship also had exchanges to strengthen friendship with officers and soldiers of the Vietnam People's Navy, helping the two sides coordinate more easily during joint training.

Sharing the same view, French Ambassador to Vietnam Nicolas Warnery said that this is the first visit of a French naval ship to Vietnam in the post-Covid-19 period, taking place in the context of the two countries celebrating the 50th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations and the 10th anniversary of strategic partnership. The Ambassador affirmed that visits by French naval ships to Vietnam are one of the pillars of bilateral defense cooperation.

In addition, France also supports training peacekeeping forces for Vietnam to carry out two missions of the United Nations and the European Union (EU). France has sent a liaison officer to work permanently at the Vietnam Peacekeeping Department but operates within the EU budget.

“In addition to the two main pillars above, when the pandemic is over, we want to restart cooperation in two other pillars: military medicine and hydrography. In addition, one area of cooperation that has never stopped is the reception of Vietnamese officers to study at French military schools at all levels of navy, army and air force. To ensure that Vietnamese officers go to France to study at military schools from the beginning, or to train peacekeeping forces for deployment in French-speaking mission areas, the French Military Attaché Office coordinates with the Vietnamese side to regularly organize French language classes in Hanoi,” Ambassador Warnery added.

Some pictures of the Prairial cruiser docking in Hai Phong city.

News and photos: PHUONG LINH

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