Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on June 1 arrived in Hanoi, successfully concluding his trip to Singapore to attend the 12th Shangri La Dialogue.

During his stay in Singapore from May 31 to June 1, PM Dung attended and delivered a keynote address in the capacity of the keynote speaker at the dialogue. He also paid a courtesy call to the host country’s President Tony Tan Keng Yam and met its Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

His keynote address at the 12th Shangri La Dialogue in the evening of May 31 highlighted the role of a strategic trust among Asia-Pacific nations for peace, stability and prosperity in the region. The address also reconfirmed Vietnam ’s defense policy, which is self-defense and for peace.

He later answered questions raised by delegates attending the dialogue. During the session, PM Dung re-affirmed that as a littoral nation, Vietnam is determined to protect its sovereignty and legitimate rights in the East Sea in accordance with international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982 UNCLOS).

The PM said Vietnam , once again, calls upon ASE AN and China to implement seriously the Declaration on the Conducts of Parties on the East Sea (DOC) in an honest and sincere manner and try their best to work towards a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).

“We all should join hands to build strategic trust for peace, stability, cooperation, development and common prosperity,” he stressed.

Regarding a question on maritime security and safety in the East Sea , the PM said that peace, stability, cooperation, development, prosperity as well as maritime security, safety and freedom of navigation are the common interest, desire and goal of the region and the world.

In answering a question regarding to the trust towards the US and China, PM Dung said that the two countries are big powers in the world, which have the biggest roles and responsibilities to the future relations of their own as well as to peace, cooperation, development, and common prosperity of the region and the world.

The Vietnamese government leader expressed his confidence and hope that as two world powers, the two countries are clearly aware of their roles, responsibilities and interests, and have practical and suitable strategies and activities in order to contribute more to peace, stability, cooperation, development and common prosperity.

Before leaving for Vietnam , PM Dung on the morning of June 1 met with leaders of Singapore ’s large corporations.

The PM told the chief executives that Vietnam will continue improving its investment environment, developing infrastructure and training skilled workforce to meet investors’ demands.-VNA