French naval ships to visit Vietnam
Last Updated: Sunday, June 09, 2013 06:20:00
Helicopter carrier Tonnerre. Photo: Masur
Two French Navy vessels on a mission to train cadets from several countries will visit Vietnam from June 18 to 21.
Helicopter carrier Tonnerre will berth in Vung Tau while the anti-submarine warfare frigate Georges Leygues will visit Ho Chi Minh City, said the French consulate in HCMC in a press release late last week.
The Tonnerre is captained by Colonel Jean-François Quérat, and the Georges Leygues by Lieutenant Colonel Romuald Bomont.
The training of 123 midshipmen from a number of countries including Brazil, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and Vietnam, began in March 2013 and will end in July 2014, according to the release.
The mission will take them to the Atlantic and Indian Oceans and the Mediterranean and Vietnam's East Seas – also known as the South China Sea.
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A delegation from in and around France’s northwestern city of Brest will arrive in Vietnam to coincide with the visit of the naval vessels to promote economic and scientific cooperation.
Earlier, to mark the France-Vietnam Friendship Year and the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two nations, French patrol vessel L’Adroit, designed for maritime protection, visited Hai Phong from May 27 to June 1.