Japanese Coast Guard ship Tsugaru , a patrol vessel with helicopter, arrived at the Chennai port on Friday ahead of a joint Search and Rescue exercise with India’s Coast Guard.
In an interview on board Tsugaru after its arrival here, Japan Coast Guard Superintendent Yuji Yamamoto, Commanding Officer, said that the joint exercise would help increase mutual understanding between the two countries.
“Since the year 2000, we have been taking a lot of anti-piracy measures in Southeast Asia and India. Collaborating with the Indian Coast Guard, we look forward to mutual understanding of each other’s capabilities, and increasing the confidence level between the two countries,” Superintendent Yamamoto said.
He said this was the eighth visit of a Japanese Coast guard ship to India, and the fifth time the exercise is being held in Chennai.
“During the exercise, helicopters of the Japan and Indian Coast Guard will perform cross-landing operations where the Japanese helicopters will land on the Indian vessels and Indian helicopters will land on Tsugaro ,” Mr. Yamamoto said.
Mr. Yamamoto said it was important for all countries in Southeast Asia to join hands to fight piracy. “That includes China as well. At the government level, China and Japan are going in for agreements for joint exercises for mutual understanding,” he said.
