VICE COMMANDANT OF JAPAN COAST GUARD PAID A COURTESY CALL ON DIRECTOR GENERAL SRI LANKA COAST GUARAD

The Vice Commandant of Japan Coast Guard Vice Admiral Katsuyuki ICHIMI who is on an official visit to Sri Lanka paid a courtesy call on Rear Admiral Samantha Wimalathunge, RWP, VSV, USP, nswc Director General of the Sri Lanka Coast Guard on 01st July 2019 at Sri Lanka Coast Guard Rear Headquarters, Wellawatte.

Director of International Education and Training Captain Yuji KOYAMA and Lieutenant Commander Kei SASAKI of Education and Training Division also represented the Delegation.They held cordial discussions focused on the matters of bilateral importance and preparatory arrangements of the 15th Head of the Asian Coast Guard Agencies Working Level and High-Level Meeting which are scheduled to be held in Colombo from 8thto 11thJuly 2019 and7thto 10thOctober 2019 respectively. Further, the Vice Commandant of Japan Coast Guard Vice Admiral Katsuyuki ICHIMI handed over the official letter of cancellation of their training ship KOJIMA’s scheduled port of call to Colombo in parallel with HACGAM Working Level Meeting to Rear Admiral Samantha Wimalathunge, Director General of the Sri Lanka Coast Guard expressing their sincere apology for cancellation of Japan Coast Guard Ship Kojima visit to Sri Lanka. The mementos were also exchanged signifying this important event.

Thereafter Vice Commandant of Japanese Coast Guard Vice Admiral Katsuyuki ICHIMI joined hand with Rear Admiral Samantha Wimalathunge Director General of the Sri Lanka Coast Guard to offer flowers at Shangri-La Hotel in tribute to all victims of Ester Sunday attack, especially to express their sincere condolences to young SLCG officer and Japanese women.

During this short visit to Sri Lanka Vice Commandant of Japan Coast Guard visited two Fast Patrol Vessels donated by Japan Government under JICA grant programme, namely SLCGS ‘Samaraksha’ and SLCGS ‘Samudra Raksha’ on 2nd July 2019 at port of Colombo. The Japanese Coast Guard and Sri Lanka Coast Guard are maintaining close cooperation and good relationship between them and this visit will heighten the bond between two Coast Guards to further strengthen the maritime cooperation, information sharing, training and capacity building aspects.