Indian Coast Guard ship in Philippines to bolster bilateral maritime cooperation

New Delhi: Indian Coast Guard ship Samudra Paheredar, a specialised Pollution Control Vessel, is in Manila Bay in the Philippines as part of an overseas deployment to ASEAN countries, officials said on Tuesday.

The ship is equipped with specialised marine pollution control equipment and a Chetak Helicopter in pollution response configuration, designed to contain, and recover spilled oil and augment the operation, they said.

The ICG ship arrived at Manila Bay on March 25 on a three-day visit.

'The visit of a specialised Pollution Control Vessels is part of a broader initiative aimed at demonstration of ICG's marine pollution response capabilities and shared concern and resolve towards marine pollution in the ASEAN region, besides bolstering bilateral cooperation with the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG),' the Defence Ministry said in a statement here.

The ICG ship is on an overseas deployment to ASEAN countries -- the Philippines, Vietnam, and Brunei -- from March 25 to April 12.

'The deployment is the third in a row by the Indian Coast Guard to ASEAN countries. Earlier in the year 2023, ICG Pollution Control Vessels visited Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia as part of the initiative,' it said.

During this deployment, the ship is scheduled to make port calls in Manila (Philippines), Ho Chi Minh (Vietnam), and Muara (Brunei).

The demonstration at visiting ports includes pollution response training and a practical display of various equipment, the statement said.

Additionally, the ship has also embarked 25 cadets of the National Cadet Corps (NCC) to participate in the Indian government's initiative 'Puneet Sagar Abhiyan', and provide it an international outreach in coordination with partner nations, officials said.

As part of an overseas exchange programme, the NCC cadets, in coordination with ICG ship crew, partner agencies personnel, Indian embassy or mission staff, and local youth organisations will undertake beach clean-up and similar activities during the port call of the ship, the statement said.

'This visit holds significant importance in strengthening bilateral relationships with key maritime agencies, including the Philippine Coast Guard, Vietnam Coast Guard, and Brunei Maritime agencies,' it said.

ICG has a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) towards enhanced maritime cooperation and maritime safety and security with the Coast Guards of the Philippines and Vietnam.

These relationships have evolved over the years to ensure safety, security and addressing of marine environment concerns in the region. The visit's agenda includes professional exchanges, cross-deck visits, joint exercises, as well as official and social engagements including visits to capacity-building facilities, the officials said.

'ICGS Samudra Paheredar, stationed on the east coast of India in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, is under the command of Deputy Inspector General Sudhir Ravindran. Over the years, Samudra Paheredar has successfully undertaken various Coast Guard operations, including pollution response, IMBL/EEZ surveillance, counter-transnational crimes, and maritime search and rescue (SAR),' the statement said.