ASEAN navy chiefs pose for a photo at the 11th ASEAN Navy Chiefs' Meeting in Pattaya, Thailand (Photo: qdnd.vn) Hanoi (VNA) – The 11th ASEAN Navy Chiefs’Meeting (ANCM-11) opened in Pattaya city, Thailand, on November 19, themed“Protection and Preservation of the Marine Environment”, according to Quan doiNhan dan (People’s Army) daily.
Opening the event, Commander-in-Chief ofRoyal Thai Navy Admiral Naris Pratoomsuwan said the ANCM-11 isan important forum for ASEAN navies to exchange viewpoints, discuss differentissues, seek cooperation opportunities, and explore common interests.
It’s time for ASEAN navies to reach mutualunderstanding through diverse activities to increase their coordinationcapability, and protect and preserve the marine environment, an importantissue, he added.
In his speech, Commander of the Vietnam People’sNavy Rear Admiral Pham Hoai Nam said the marine environment is facingnon-traditional challenges. Four major challenges to the marine environment arepollution from the mainland and the sea, the destruction of marine species’natural habitat, illegal fishing and overfishing, and climate change impactslike natural disasters, storms and floods.
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He said it is necessary to exploit and usemarine resources in an effective, reasonable and economical manner. Meanwhile,regional countries need to minimise illegal and destructive fishing, addresspollution and degradation of the marine environment, and prevent pollution.
Nam also called on ASEAN countries to buildmarine reserves and climate change-adapted infrastructure while stepping upmonitoring of the marine environment to gather scientific information for thesustainable use and protection of marine resources.
Stressing international cooperation in themarine environmental protection and preservation, Rear Admiral Nam expressedhis hope that ASEAN navies will have more effective cooperation in this field.
The ANCM-11 is among a series of navy-relatedevents in Pattaya from November 13 to 22. Other activities include theASEAN International Fleet Reviews 2017 (IFR 2017) and the firstASEAN Multilateral Naval Exercise (AMNEX-1). Vietnam’s navalship 012-Ly Thai To participated in all activities of the IFR 2017 andAMNEX-1.-VNA
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