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India, Japan to combat high sea piracy

The Japanese Coast Guard vessel Shikishima will visit India from November 5 to 9 for a joint exercise with the Indian Coast Guard off Madras, in a show of resolve to promote cooperation between the two nations to check the growing menace of sea piracy along Asia's busiest maritime route, a crucial lifeline for commerce in the continent.

Shogo Arai, commandant of Japan's Coast Guard, will fly to Delhi on November 10 for discussions with Director General of Coast Guard Vice Admiral J C DeSilva, the Japanese embassy said in New Delhi.

Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori, during a recent visit to India, had spoken of the necessity for ties to sanitise the seas. The issue first came up when Defence Minister George Fernandes visited Tokyo, the first by an Indian defence minister, in January.

India had attended the Regional Conference on Combating Piracy in Japan in April.

The capturing of the hijacked vessel M V Alondra Rainbow last year through a joint operation by the Indian Navy and Coast Guard had been appreciated by Japan.

The hijacking also underscored the need for greater cooperation and coordinaiton globally among coast guards. The visit of Shikishima is a significant initiative by Japan's Coast Guard.

The joint exercise on November 8, off Madras, will be conducted as a mock counter-operation against a hijacked ship. The exercise will include communication networking and exchange of information, rescue and other operations.

UNI

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