New Delhi, Aug 22 (PTI) The Indian Coast Guard on Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Philippine Coast Guard to enhance maritime cooperation between the two nations for ensuring safe, secure and clean seas in the region, the Defence Ministry said here.
The MoU was signed by Rakesh Pal, Director General of Indian Coast Guard and CG Admiral Artemio M Abu, Commandant, PCG at the Coast Guard Headquarters in Delhi.
Both the sides held their first bilateral meeting on a range of maritime issues, the ministry said in a statement.
“In a significant step towards bolstering the bilateral cooperation between India and Philippines, Indian Coast Guard has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on enhanced maritime cooperation,” it said.
The MoU seeks to enhance the professional linkage between the two Coast Guards in the domain of Maritime Law Enforcement (MLE), Maritime Search and Rescue (M-SAR) and Marine Pollution Response (MPR), the ministry said.
The implementation of this MoU will enhance bilateral maritime cooperation between the two nations for ensuring safe, secure and clean seas in the region, it added.
The first-ever bilateral meeting between both the maritime agencies signifies the dedication in strengthening the professional bonds by sharing best practices, conducting joint exercises and enhancing training collaborations, it said.
A five-member delegation of the PCG is on an official tour of India from August 20-24. Earlier, the delegation visited Goa on August 21, where they witnessed the operational capabilities of the Coast Guard ships and aircraft under ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’.
During the visit, the delegation was also provided with a customer demonstration flight on the Indian Coast Guard Advance Light Helicopter MK-III. The delegates also visited Coast Guard Ship Sujeet built by Goa Shipyard Limited. PTI KND RHL
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