Sovereignty disputes at sea should be
directly settled between concerned parties and be transparent in the
international environment.
Deputy
Defence Minister Sen. Lieu. Gen. Nguyen Chi Vinh reiterated Vietnam’s stance
while receiving defence ministers and officials of countries attending the 2012
Shangri La Dialogue in Singapore on June 2-3.
Vinh
stressed that addressing sea-related issues requires concerned parties not to
use or threaten to use force, as well as not to use or threaten to use ‘soft’
power such as economic isolation, considering this a must in international
norms.
He
echoed his guests’ view that all disputes in the East Sea should be peacefully
resolved according to international law, especially the 1982 United Nations
Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), as well as regional commitments that
ASEAN and its dialogue partners have made.
The
head of the Vietnamese delegation to the Shangri La Dialogue noted that
adhering to international law means all countries should have similar
understanding and explanation of international law.
He also
confirmed that the sovereign right of coastal countries over their exclusive
economic zones (EEZ) within 200 nautical miles should be definitely respected.
During
a meeting with Indian Defence Minister A.K.Antony, Vinh highlighted Vietnam’s
consistent policy of promoting the strategic partnership with India, in which
national defence ties are considered as a pillar.
He
proposed that India continue to support Vietnam in such areas as training and
national defence industries.
Antony
said that strengthening relations with Vietnam is one of India’s priorities in
its Look East policy. He requested Vietnam to support India in multilateral
forums.
Vinh
and Antony shared the view that the two countries will work close together to
effectively organise the strategic dialogue on national defence at the deputy
ministerial level in India late this year.
The
Vietnamese general conveyed National Defence Minister Phung Quang Thanh’s
invitation to Antony to visit Vietnam, and the invitation was accepted with
pleasure.
Vinh
also met with defence ministers and officials from China, the US, Singapore,
Australia, Canada, the UN and the European Union.
Delegates
to the Shangri La Dialogue emphasised that maritime freedom should be respected
in the East Sea and that any dispute should be handled peacefully according to
international law, especially the 1982 UNCLOS, the Declaration on the Conduct
of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and the future Code of Conduct (COC).
US
Defence Secretary Leoen Panetta voiced his strong support for the increased
organisation of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting – Plus (ADMM+) and for
ongoing efforts by ASEAN and China in formulating the COC in the East Sea.
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