Jakarta (VNA) – The EU is committedto the legal order for the seas and oceans based upon international law,maritime security and cooperation, as well as the freedom of navigation andoverflight, in the interest of all states, EU Ambassador to ASEAN Igor Driesmans told a Vietnam News Agency reporter in Jakarta on April 26.

Driesmans said the EU is concerned about unilateral actions during the past weeks in the East Sea that have resulted in mounting tensions anda deterioration of the maritime security environment, including temporary orpermanent deployment of military forces or equipment on disputed maritimefeatures, harassment or intimidation of fishing and other vessels, and attemptsto unilaterally impose new administrative boundaries.

“Such actions represent aserious threat to the peaceful economic development of the region and undermineinternational cooperation and trust, which are crucial for effectively mitigatingthe impact of the COVID-19 outbreak.”

“Whathappens in this region matters to all of us,” he continued, noting that an estimated one-third of globalshipping passes through the East Sea; so freedom of navigation is a global necessity.

Asian partners are increasingly looking to theEU to be present and engaged on security matters, and the bloc is intenton delivering on that objective through active engagement through multilateral mechanisms such as the ASEANRegional Forum (ARF), and concrete stepswith individual countries in the region such as the recent agreement onVietnam's participation in European military and civilian missions, he said.

The ambassador went on to say that the EU is cooperating “more closely than ever” with ASEAN and will continue supporting regional ASEAN-ledprocesses to promote a rules-based regional and international order, toconsolidate multilateral cooperation, and to cooperate closely with thirdparties.

“In this regard, we arelooking forward to a conclusion, in a transparent manner, of the talks betweenASEAN and China on an effective, substantive and legally binding Code ofConduct,” the diplomat said.

He also emphasised that it is crucial for all parties in the region to exercise self-restraint andabstain from unilateral actions, take concrete steps towards reverting to thestatus quo ante, refrain from militarising the region and resolve disputesthrough peaceful means in accordance with international law, notably the UnitedNations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The EU encouragesfurther engagement in confidence building measures, building trust and securityin the region, he said.

Driesmans suggested concerned parties could seek third party assistance in the form ofmediation or arbitration to facilitate the settlement of their respectiveclaims.

The EU has its own experience indealing with overlapping maritime territorial claims, so it would be happy to put that experience at thedisposal of its Asian partners, he said./.