Colonel Vu Van Khanh reiterated Vietnam’s stance on the settlement of all disputes arising in the East Sea by peaceful means in line with international law, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC).
Regarding maritime security, Vietnam hopes the EU to make positive contributions to resolving the issue of China’s unilateral establishment of an air defence identification zone (ADIZ) in the East China Sea and prevent similar actions in other regions, while sharing its experience and providing support for regional countries to deal with the issue, Khanh said.
Vietnam protests against China’s “nine-dotted line” claim in the East Sea and the country is greatly concerned about uncertainties in some Southeast Asian countries, such as religious and racial conflicts in Myanmar, Thailand and the Philippines and internal instability in Thailand and Cambodia, he added.
The event, the first of its kind, is hosted by the European External Action Service (EEAS), the European Security and Defence College and the European Union Military Staff.
Representatives from defence agencies of member nations of the EU and ASEAN and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) discussed the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) and the Union’s intervention in external activities such as police intelligence, border patrol and marine control.
Participant also debated the EU-ASEAN relations relating to marine security and safety as well as the prospect for their cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region.
Within the framework of the seminar, they will tour EU security-defence models in the Netherlands.
