Visiting Chairman of the East Asian and Pacific Affairs Subcommitteeunder the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations Benjamin Cardin madethe affirmation while meeting with National Assembly Chairman NguyenSinh Hung in Hanoi on May 27.
Chairman Hung describedthe visit as an active contribution to improving the implementation ofagreements reached by the two nations in line with the spirit of theircomprehensive partnership, for the interests of the two peoples as wellas for peace and development in the region and the world at large.
Regarding China ’s illegal placement of its oil rig Haiyang Shiyou-981in Vietnam ’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, heaffirmed that this is a serious violation of Vietnam ’s sovereignty,sovereign right and jurisdiction.
It also contravenedinternational law, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of theSea (UNCLOS), and the Declaration of the Conduct of Parties in the EastSea (DOC), he said.
The action destabilised the EastSea situation and threatened maritime and air trading in internationalwaters, stirring deep concerns among regional countries and menacingregional and global peace and security, he added.
The topVietnamese legislator expressed his wish that Cardin and other USsenators will continue raising their voice and taking specific actionsin support of Vietnam, thus fostering peace, security, cooperation anddevelopment in the Asia-Pacific region.
For his part,Cardin stated that the US Senate strongly opposes China ’s provocativeact of illegally placing its rig Haiyang Shiyou-981 in Vietnam ’sexclusive economic zone and continental shelf and hopes that the partiesconcerned will actively solve the case in line with international law,for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region.
At the meeting, the two sides also discussed measures to boostrelations between the two countries and the two parliaments in the timeto come, including the establishment of an annual dialogue between thetwo legislatures.
On the occasion, Chairman Hung invitedCardin and other US congressmen to attend the 132 ndInter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly scheduled for 2015 in Hanoi.-VNA