DAVAO CITY, Philippines -- A French naval vessel will dock at the Sasa wharf here on Friday for a four-day friendship and cooperation visit, the French embassy said in statement on Thursday.

French ambassador Gerard Chesnel will also grace the occasion of the frigate arrival.

The statement said the French surveillance frigate Floréal, which means “months of the flower” in French, will pay a “port call” to Davao from April 4 to 8, during which, a light exercise will be held between the French and the Philippine navies.

The Floreal, headed by Commander Johann de Villars, is the first in the class of frigates, which the French government uses for special sea missions.

The Floreal has been outfitted with sophisticated equipment and has detection and weaponry capabilities.