Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnamese Navy Colonel Nguyen Van Kiem has attended the 18th International Hydrographic Conference in Monaco as an observer. In Vietnam, the Navy under the Ministry of National Defense, is the agency in charge of hydrography affairs. At the conference, the Vietnamese delegation said with a long coastline and large sea area, Vietnam wants to be a member of the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) to join cooperation in the field for boosting economic development, sea transport and ensuring maritime safety in the region and the world. More than 100 delegations of IHO members and observers expressed their support of Vietnam ’s admission to the IHO. Vietnam applied for IHO membership in May last year and the country is completing necessary procedures to become an official member of the organization. At the conference, participants agreed on measures to harmonize sea maps and to increase global and regional cooperation programmes in hydrography, thus ensuring the safety of maritime activities. During the conference, the Vietnamese delegation met with IHO leaders, the conference’s Chair and many delegations to the conference to discuss ways to beef up cooperation in the field. Founded in 1921, the IHO is an intergovernmental organization serving as a coordinator in the field.  VNA