The East Sea remains a hot spot with territorial disputes

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that on the morning of October 23, 2024, the 16th International Scientific Conference on the East Sea, co-organized by the Diplomatic Academy and partner agencies, opened in Ha Long City, Quang Ninh Province with the theme "Orienting thinking, Promoting standards".

Speaking at the opening of the workshop, Acting President of the Academy of Diplomacy, Ambassador Dr. Pham Lan Dung said that after many years of discussion, the East Sea is still a hot spot, with territorial disputes and differences in maritime claims, along with the militarization situation in the region.

However, she said that like islands that stand firm against the storm, all sides must remain steadfast in their efforts to pursue peace and diplomacy; and like the process of polishing a stone, diplomatic progress requires time, patience, and optimism.

At the opening session, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Do Hung Viet gave a keynote speech, in which he assessed that the world is facing a major turning point, the transition to a multipolar, multi-center situation is full of surprises, unpredictable, and if not well controlled, could lead to disaster.

The Deputy Minister said that trust in existing institutions and rules is gradually decreasing and that unilateral actions will prevail, ignoring the legitimate interests of the parties and the international community.

The Deputy Minister noted that competition among major countries today is not simply about competing for territory, sea areas, resources, controlling trade, technology and military capabilities, but more importantly, it is about influencing the views and visions that will shape the international system in the future. Therefore, the Deputy Minister highly appreciated the theme "Orienting thinking, Promoting standards" which shows the current topicality and urgency.

In that context, Deputy Minister Do Hung Viet affirmed that compliance with widely recognized principles and standards is the foundation for ensuring international peace and stability; and is also the common framework for countries to resolve disputes peacefully and cooperatively.

The Deputy Minister assessed that the 30th anniversary of the entry into force of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) is an opportunity to reaffirm the importance of UNCLOS as the comprehensive legal framework governing all activities at sea and oceans and the basis for actions and cooperation at sea at the national, regional and global levels; therefore, the integrity of UNCLOS needs to be maintained.

The Deputy Minister said that Vietnam's nomination of the first candidate for the position of Judge of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) for the 2026-2035 period reaffirms Vietnam's readiness to contribute to the activities of ITLOS; at the same time, it demonstrates its strong and steadfast commitment to UNCLOS in particular and to the United Nations Charter and international law in general.

On this occasion, Deputy Minister Do Hung Viet also said that the recently signed Document for the Future of the United Nations continues to affirm the global determination in dealing with human challenges through multilateral cooperation; emphasizing that ASEAN should be trusted and entrusted with the role of intermediary and connector, because ASEAN's principles of openness, inclusiveness, transparency and respect for international law will connect all parties.