Tuesday, April 21, 2015

PH secures Portugal Navy’s support for maritime cooperation deal

From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 22): PH secures Portugal Navy’s support for maritime cooperation deal

The Philippine embassy in Lisbon has secured the support of the Portuguese Navy over the proposed Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Maritime Search and Rescue between the Philippine Coast Guard and the latter, which is expected to further strengthen the bilateral cooperation between the two nations.

Philippine Ambassador to Portugal Philippe J. Lhuillier recently paid a courtesy call with Admiral Luis Manuel Fragoso, Chief of the Portuguese Navy.

The visit provided Ambassador Lhuillier the opportunity to express the embassy’s appreciation to the Portuguese Navy, particularly the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centers (MRCC) in Lisbon and Ponta Delgada in the Açores islands, for the vital role they play in evacuating Filipino seafarers in need of medical treatment or attention due to medical issues or accidents onboard their ship in the Atlantic Ocean.

Ambassador Lhuillier likewise acknowledged the Portuguese Navy’s timely alerts to the embassy whenever a Filipino seafarer has been airlifted to a Portuguese medical facility. This enables the embassy to quickly respond to the situation and coordinate with the relevant shipping agent in order to ensure that the rescued Filipino seafarer’s welfare and needs are attended to while undergoing medical treatment, and for the eventual repatriation of the seafarer.

Admiral Fragoso also welcomed and expressed his support for Ambassador Lhuuillier’s initiative to propose a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Maritime Search and Rescue between the Philippine Coast Guard and the Portuguese Navy. A draft of the proposed MOU is currently under review by the Portuguese government.

Noting that Portugal has the 13th largest maritime zone and jurisdiction in the world, Ambassador Lhuillier believes that there is much for both sides to learn and exchange best practices in the area of maritime search and rescue and other related concerns.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=755140

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