The Chinese naval hospital ship Peace Ark arrives at Antsiranana Port, Madagascar on July 26, 2024. (Xinhua/Gui Xinhua)
By Liu Zhilei and Gao Shumin
TANANARIVE, July 29 -- The Chinese naval hospital ship Peace Ark, which is on the Mission Harmony-2024, arrived at Antsiranana Port, Madagascarat around 10:00 a.m. on July 26 local time. During the seven-day goodwill visit, it will provide medical service there. This is the first time the ship Peace Ark has visited Madagascar.
The Madagascan side held a grand welcoming ceremony for the ship Peace Ark, Madagascan Prime Minister Christian Ntsay attended the ceremony.
During the visit, the ship Peace Ark will use its main platform to provide medical service. In addition, it will dispatch multiple medical teams to local villages, hospitals and military bases to carry out joint treatment, itinerant medical service and academic exchanges.
Madagascar lies in the eastern part of the African continent and to the west of the Indian Ocean. It is Africa's largest and the world's fourth-largest island. China and Madagascar established diplomatic ties on November 6, 1972, and China began sending medical teams to the latter in 1975.
The Chinese naval hospital ship Peace Ark arrives at Antsiranana Port, Madagascar on July 26, 2024. (Xinhua/Liu Zhilei)