Japanese defence ships call at Kochi

KOCHI: Japanese Defence Ship (JDS) Murasame and Harusame of Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force(JMSDF) called at Kochi port on its way for anti-piracy deployment in the Gulf of Aden. Nine members from the Japanese delegation led by Motoshi Tsukiyama, Consulate General of Japan, visited the Coast Guard District Headquarters in Kochi and had an interaction with T K S Chandran, Deputy Inspector General, District Commander, DHQ-4.The officers of the Coast Guard component on board these ships also visited CGDHQ-4 and interacted with the officers of the Indian Coast Guard. Japanese and Indian Coast Guards have been interacting regularly on earlier occasions and ships from both countries have visited Japanese and Indian ports and participated in various joint exercises. The JMSDF has also been contributing to the international anti-piracy efforts in the Gulf of Aden.