The Japanese coast guards said on May 22 that the drills are part of Japan's counter-piracy co-operation programme in Southeast Asia.
Japan will support regional countries, including Vietnam, to strengthen law enforcement capacity. The Echigo will arrive at the central region port of Da Nang on June 13. Suzuki Shiro, Head of the JCG's International Criminal Investigation Division, said this is the first time the Japanese coast guard has sent a patrol ship to Vietnam since it signed a memorandum of understanding with the Vietnam Coast Guard in September 2015. A Japanese-built patrol vessel operated by the Vietnam Coast Guards will also participate in the drill. The two coast guards will carry out a number of joint activities to improve marine security protection capacity.
