At the dialogue (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – ASEAN cooperation in the East Sea was the topic of the fifthOcean Dialogue that took place in Hanoi on June 18.
Theevent was jointly held by the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam (DAV), German foundationKonrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS), the Australian Embassy in Vietnam and theFoundation for East Sea Studies.
Itbrought together nearly 100 delegates from some 30 foreign agencies andinternational organisations, Vietnamese ministries and agencies, along withexperts and scholars.
Majorspeakers from Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and the US, and expertshighlighted the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)’s role inmanaging disputes and promoting regional cooperation.
Theyalso looked into maritime cooperation within the framework of ASEAN-ledmechanisms over the past time and worked on proposals to improve the efficiencyof the grouping’s engagement in the East Sea in the time ahead.
Inhis opening remarks, Peter Girke, Head of KAS Office in Vietnam, pointed out countries’different approaches to disputes in the East Sea and ASEAN’s limited role inincidents in the sea, which is geographically located in the centre of theregion.
TheOcean Dialogues aim to discuss a strategy of making small steps in regionalcooperation, with priority given to seeking common points and building trustthrough the settlement of less sensitive issues such as environmental pollutionand fish resources reduction, he said.
Ifsuch approach produces progress, regional countries would find it easier todeal with long-term challenges and conflicts, he added.
AustralianDeputy Ambassador to Vietnam Rebecca Bryant affirmed Australia’s commitment tobacking ASEAN’s central role in Indo-Pacific, and applauded its significantcontributions to maintaining security and stability over the past 50 years.
Priorto the dialogue, Dr. Le Hai Binh, DAV Deputy Director, said the event aims toseek new ideas on the ASEAN cooperation in the East Sea to propose to policy-makingagencies, while enhancing public awareness of external affairs in the comingtime, in the context that Vietnam has been elected as a non-permanent member ofthe United Nations Security Council for 2020-2021 and will take over the ASEANChairmanship in 2020.
Thefour previous Ocean Dialogues touched upon such issues as maritimeadministration, fishery cooperation, international maritime law and plasticwaste at sea.-VNA
VNA
