An overview of the 15th East Sea International Conference (Photo: VNA) The event gathers nearly 50 speakers who are reputableexperts from nearly 20 countries.
Elaborating on the theme of the conference, Acting President ofDiplomatic Academy of Vietnam Pham Lan Dung said that the organising board hopesthat participants will analyse the state of play of the East Sea (also known asSouth China Sea) and the region, clarify the governing rules, identify policiesthat enhance trust and cooperation, and highlight activities that upset therules-based order and create tensions.
“By illuminating grey areas, we hope to make the maritimedomain more transparent, more tranquil,” she said.
At the same time, the conference is expected to “Light Upthe Green” to shed light on the potentials of the sea and the future bypromoting best practices in key areas of the green transformation, such asoffshore wind energy, transformative marine technologies, research, andinvestments, said Dung, expressing her hope that participants will discuss howmaritime capacities, such as law enforcement agencies and regional mechanisms, can contribute in a constructive manner to the development of a bluer, orgreener East Sea.
In his key speech at the opening session, Deputy Foreign Minister Do Hung Viet said thatover the past 15 years, the East Sea Conference series has provided an open, candid,friendly environment for regional and international experts to come together toadvance mutual understanding, and narrow differences.
The official said he hopes that in the next 15 years, thedialogue will further evolve into a key region-wide maritime security forum,one that is open, inclusive and innovative in nature, a meeting point and hubof interests spanning from the “Indo” to the “Pacific” and beyond.
Deputy FM Viet held that the global center of gravity continuesto shift toward the Indo-Pacific, which is becoming the “Epicentrum” of globalgrowth and a key locomotive for global recovery and future prosperity.
But this future cannot be guaranteed without sustained peaceand stability, including in the regional maritime domain, he stressed.
He quoted UN Secretary-General Guterres as saying that strategicrivalries are creating “great divides” and “a great fracture”. Conflictsare breaking out in many regions, from Europe to the Middle East, he noted, addingthat the Indo-Pacific region, particularly in the maritime domain, is certainly not immunefrom risks of confrontations and conflicts.
The official underlined the need to constantly screen themaritime domain of potential dangers, to review existing cooperation mechanismsto address emerging challenges, and to act together to preempt those threats.
He said that in the past 15 years, the East Sea situationhas grown increasingly complicated. At the same time, this is a region oftremendous opportunities. The recent agreement on biodiversity in areas beyondnational jurisdiction, the BBNJ agreement, of which Vietnam is among firstsignatories, has shown the common interests related to the seas far outweigh differences,said the Deputy FM.
Deputy Foreign Minister Do Hung Viet addresses the event (Photo: VNA) Therefore, the “Light up the Green” part in theconference’s theme this year will allow participants to explore thoseopportunities, and turn them into specific and concrete cooperation activities, said Viet, stressing the critical needfor respecting and upholding international law of the sea, as reflected inthe 1928 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)
The official also highlighted the efforts by Vietnam andASEAN countries in securing a stable and lawful regional order, including inthe maritime domain.
“We are committed to the effective operationalisation of theASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific and the recently launched ASEAN Maritime Outlook– a strategic guidance for ASEAN member states to expand their maritimecooperation regionally and internationally. We are open to newinitiatives aimed at our common goals, through bilateral, multilateral or newframeworks,” he stated.
Running through October 26, the conference comprises eightsessions covering many topics. Particularly, it includes a discussion amongrepresentatives from coast guard forces of some countries in the coast of theEast Sea. A discussion for young leaders is also on theofficial agenda of the conference.
Besides, many senior officials, including Minister of Stateat the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Anne-Marie Trevelyan,and European External Action Service (EEAS) Acting Managing Director for Asiaand Pacific, will deliver special speeches at the conference./.
Elaborating on the theme of the conference, Acting President ofDiplomatic Academy of Vietnam Pham Lan Dung said that the organising board hopesthat participants will analyse the state of play of the East Sea (also known asSouth China Sea) and the region, clarify the governing rules, identify policiesthat enhance trust and cooperation, and highlight activities that upset therules-based order and create tensions.
“By illuminating grey areas, we hope to make the maritimedomain more transparent, more tranquil,” she said.
At the same time, the conference is expected to “Light Upthe Green” to shed light on the potentials of the sea and the future bypromoting best practices in key areas of the green transformation, such asoffshore wind energy, transformative marine technologies, research, andinvestments, said Dung, expressing her hope that participants will discuss howmaritime capacities, such as law enforcement agencies and regional mechanisms, can contribute in a constructive manner to the development of a bluer, orgreener East Sea.
In his key speech at the opening session, Deputy Foreign Minister Do Hung Viet said thatover the past 15 years, the East Sea Conference series has provided an open, candid,friendly environment for regional and international experts to come together toadvance mutual understanding, and narrow differences.
The official said he hopes that in the next 15 years, thedialogue will further evolve into a key region-wide maritime security forum,one that is open, inclusive and innovative in nature, a meeting point and hubof interests spanning from the “Indo” to the “Pacific” and beyond.
Deputy FM Viet held that the global center of gravity continuesto shift toward the Indo-Pacific, which is becoming the “Epicentrum” of globalgrowth and a key locomotive for global recovery and future prosperity.
But this future cannot be guaranteed without sustained peaceand stability, including in the regional maritime domain, he stressed.
He quoted UN Secretary-General Guterres as saying that strategicrivalries are creating “great divides” and “a great fracture”. Conflictsare breaking out in many regions, from Europe to the Middle East, he noted, addingthat the Indo-Pacific region, particularly in the maritime domain, is certainly not immunefrom risks of confrontations and conflicts.
The official underlined the need to constantly screen themaritime domain of potential dangers, to review existing cooperation mechanismsto address emerging challenges, and to act together to preempt those threats.
He said that in the past 15 years, the East Sea situationhas grown increasingly complicated. At the same time, this is a region oftremendous opportunities. The recent agreement on biodiversity in areas beyondnational jurisdiction, the BBNJ agreement, of which Vietnam is among firstsignatories, has shown the common interests related to the seas far outweigh differences,said the Deputy FM.
Deputy Foreign Minister Do Hung Viet addresses the event (Photo: VNA) The official also highlighted the efforts by Vietnam andASEAN countries in securing a stable and lawful regional order, including inthe maritime domain.
“We are committed to the effective operationalisation of theASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific and the recently launched ASEAN Maritime Outlook– a strategic guidance for ASEAN member states to expand their maritimecooperation regionally and internationally. We are open to newinitiatives aimed at our common goals, through bilateral, multilateral or newframeworks,” he stated.
Running through October 26, the conference comprises eightsessions covering many topics. Particularly, it includes a discussion amongrepresentatives from coast guard forces of some countries in the coast of theEast Sea. A discussion for young leaders is also on theofficial agenda of the conference.
Besides, many senior officials, including Minister of Stateat the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Anne-Marie Trevelyan,and European External Action Service (EEAS) Acting Managing Director for Asiaand Pacific, will deliver special speeches at the conference./.
VNA
