Wednesday May 3, 2017
A Japanese destroyer, ‘Kirisame’, visited Dammam from April 27 to 29. She conducted the counter-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden since last December. Kirisame’s visit is part of her navigation back to Japan.
Commander Yasutaka Ebata, Commanding Officer of Kirisame, said that anti-piracy activity is vital to the regional and global maritime security and that all of his crew members are proud of their mission. She left Japan in the end of last November and thereafter she has conducted her mission to this April.
Also on board of Kirisame was Captain Tomonori Kobayashi, commander of the Escort Division 8 of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force, the mother unit of Kirisame.
He said that this visit would certainly be a bridge between Saudi Arabia and Japan. Captain Kobayashi and Commander Ebata paid official visits to some senior officers of the Royal Saudi Naval Forces during their stay.
“Saudi Arabia is vital to the Japanese energy strategy, as it is the largest oil supplier to it.” said Captain Kimihiko Murakami, Japanese defense attaché in Riyadh.
Saudi Arabia has recently sent its first defense attaché to Japan this February, which is expected to pave the way for the future defense cooperation between the two countries.A Japanese destroyer, ‘Kirisame’, visited Dammam from April 27 to 29. She conducted the counter-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden since last December. Kirisame’s visit is part of her navigation back to Japan.
Commander Yasutaka Ebata, Commanding Officer of Kirisame, said that anti-piracy activity is vital to the regional and global maritime security and that all of his crew members are proud of their mission. She left Japan in the end of last November and thereafter she has conducted her mission to this April.
Also on board of Kirisame was Captain Tomonori Kobayashi, commander of the Escort Division 8 of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force, the mother unit of Kirisame.
He said that this visit would certainly be a bridge between Saudi Arabia and Japan. Captain Kobayashi and Commander Ebata paid official visits to some senior officers of the Royal Saudi Naval Forces during their stay.
“Saudi Arabia is vital to the Japanese energy strategy, as it is the largest oil supplier to it.” said Captain Kimihiko Murakami, Japanese defense attaché in Riyadh.
Saudi Arabia has recently sent its first defense attaché to Japan this February, which is expected to pave the way for the future defense cooperation between the two countries.