HCMC – The United States has handed over a vessel to the Vietnam Coast Guard, marking the third such transfer under the U.S.-Vietnam defense cooperation memorandum, the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi said.
The CSB 8022 vessel, transferred on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the normalization of U.S.-Vietnam diplomatic relations, was formerly known as the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Mellon.
It began its journey from Seattle, making stops in Hawaii and Guam before arriving in Vietnam.
The handover ceremony was attended by US Chargé d’Affaires Courtney Beale and Major General Ngo Binh Minh, Commander of Vietnam Coast Guard Region 3.
It reflects the continued growth of security cooperation over the 30 years of diplomatic relations between the two nations, said US Chargé d’Affaires Courtney Beale.
She emphasized that the U.S. and Vietnam respect each other’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political systems, and remain firmly committed to supporting a shared vision of peace, stability, prosperity, and security in the Indo-Pacific region.
This is the third patrol vessel transferred under the U.S.-Vietnam Memorandum of Understanding on defense cooperation, following the delivery of CSB 8020 in 2017 and CSB 8021 in 2020.
