Themed “East Sea: Cooperation for Regional Security and Development,” the event saw nearly 40 speeches and garnered 80 opinions from academics and specialists from Vietnam, Southeast Asian countries, the US, China, Taiwan (China), the Republic of Korea, Australia, India, the UK, France, Italy and Belgium.
They proposed that a code of conduct should be built to ensure the implementation of international law in the East Sea, while specific recommendations should be made to clarify Article 5 of the DOC.
Common rules applied for all armed forces and law enforcement authorities at sea should also be specified, while a cooperation mechanism for non-traditional security issues should be set up, they suggested.
They also highlighted the importance of making the best use of information sharing channels, as well as promoting partnership in managing maritime natural resources and protecting and preserving the maritime environment.
During the two-day event, experts and academics also analysed factors affecting the East Sea issue and measures to build trust as well as preventive diplomacy.
Participants raised a concern that the East Sea is becoming a strategic competitive space for world powers. However, some held that the complicated situation in the East Sea would be a chance for ASEAN and its partners to boost their positive role in seeking solutions to the issue.
Concluding the conference, Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy, President of the Vietnam Academy of Diplomacy proposed the participants continue researching on the issues to help all parties concerned clearly understand their legal obligations in the maintenance of the status quo in the East Sea.
Read more at Vietnamplus
Click here for updated South China Sea news
