Sea rescuers gather for international forum in Russia's Far East.

VLADIVOSTOK, September 6 (Itar-Tass) -- Sea rescuers from Russia,
China, South Korea and Japan have gathered for an international
conference, which opened in the Russian Far Eastern city of Vladivostok on
Tuesday.
In the focus of attention there will be actions of Japanese rescuers
who conducted a large-scale search and rescue operation after a disastrous
earthquake and tsunami in March. According to Japanese coastal guards,
some 53,000 people were rescued and 15,000 people more were found dead. So
far, 4,666 people are still missing.
Russian rescuers told participants in the conference about the
organization of rescue services in Russia's Far East. Thus, according to
Sergei Shakhmatov, a deputy head of the Vladivostok sea rescue centre, a
total of 30 rescue ships of various types are patrolling Russian Far
Eastern coastlines. Rescue services in the region have three helicopters
and two airplanes.
Later in the day, participants in the conference visited naval
facilities in Vladivostok.
The forum that will end on September 7 is expected to be crowned by
the signing of a joint document on boosting cooperation between sea
rescuers from these countries.