Head of the EU Delegation to Vietnam Ambassador Franz Jessen addresses the workshop

PANO – An international seminar “Maritime issues and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS): Sharing European and Asian Approaches to Territorial Disputes” was underway on June 4th and 5th in Ha Long City, Quang Ninh province.

The event, which was co-organized by the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam (DAV) and the European Union Mission (EU) to Vietnam via the EU-Vietnam Strategic Dialogue Facility, attracted the participation of leading experts on maritime issues in Europe and Asia and over 140 delegates from various related ministries and agencies of Vietnam.

The seminar was a forum for experts, scholars and policy practitioners from the EU and Vietnam to exchange views, experiences and best practices on various aspects related to maritime issues; and to improve their knowledge on UNCLOS functions and mechanisms as well as regional and EU-Vietnam cooperation on maritime fields.

In the opening speech, DAV Director Dang Dinh Quy hoped that the participants would focus on numerous issues, including the existing problems in perception, explanation and application of the international law on the sea so as to find a satisfactory solution for territorial disputes and peace and development cooperation.

In addition, Head of the EU Delegation to Vietnam Ambassador Franz Jessen stressed that a long-term resolution for disputes in the East Sea should be achieved through dialogues and negotiations in accordance with international law, including the UNCLOS. The EU encouraged joint management of resources and separating the sovereignty issue from economic exploitation to contribute to building mutual trust.

During the two-day meeting, the speakers analyzed different aspects related to maritime issues in Europe and Asia, such as legal regulations, maritime security, maritime cooperation and ocean governance, maritime delimitation and dispute settlement.

The EU-Vietnam Strategic Dialogue Facility is a three-year program (2013-2016) funded by the EU to support Vietnam’s development through the implementation of activities in areas under the EU-Vietnam Partnership and Cooperation Agreement.

Translated by Van Hieu