Russian, Japanese Frontiersmen Trained Together

28.10.2011 Russian and Japanese frontier services on Oct 27 practiced anti-criminal drills during joint exercise, reported RIA Novosti on Oct 28 referring to a representative of Sakhalin Coast Guard Department.

"The exercise scenario was based on real situations typical for Russian and Japanese border guards. Patrol ships of both countries practiced detention of a "violator" ship, assistance to a "distressed" vessel, and rescue of sufferers at sea", said the interviewee.

According to her, Russian party was represented by patrol ships Bug and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, two new patrol vessels, patrol boat, an airplane and a helicopter of Russian FSB. Japanese Coast Guard delegated patrol vessel Soya with a ship-based helicopter on board.

Chief of Sakhalin Coast Guard Dept and the head of Japanese Coast Guard's 1st region observed the drills from the board of Russian patrol ship. Summarizing the exercise, they said it was held on a quite high level.

Japanese patrol ship Soya arrived at Sakhalin Island, Russia on Oct 25. Purpose of the visit was improvement of international cooperation between border guard agencies of the two countries and countering trans-frontier criminality at sea.

Apart from joint exercise, the visit program included a number of cultural activities. On Oct 26, Japanese patrol ship Soya and Russian patrol ship Bug were open for public. Crewmembers guided visitors around the ships, told about their technical characteristics and arms, and showed crew living and service conditions. A concert was given to frontiersmen on Oct 28 at Ocean cultural center in Korsakov port; in the evening, patrol ship Soya departed for Japan.

The history of mutual official calls paid by Sakhalin and Japanese frontiersmen goes back to 2000. When the memorandum of cooperation development between Russian FSB Frontier Service and Japanese Coast Guard was signed, Sakhalin patrol ship for the first time attended the naval parade in Tokyo Bay. In 2003 two other Russian patrol vessels participated in exercise jointly with Japanese ships.

Since 2007 this trend has received new impulse; joint drills and official visits of Russian and Japanese border guards are becoming regular. The most eventful year was 2008 when frontier agencies of both countries celebrated jubilees; Russian Frontier Service turned 90, and Japanese Coast Guard – 60.

Such close cooperation promotes mutual understanding and helps to protect territorial waters of both countries more effectively, respond to regional challenges rapidly, and reach compromise in problematic issues.