Swiss lawyer Pierre Schifferli (Photo: VNA) Geneva (VNA) –It is necessary to maintain and respect international law, especially the 1982 UnitedNations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), in the settlement of disputesin the East Sea, Swiss lawyer Pierre Schifferli has said.
In an interview with the VietnamNews Agency (VNA)’s correspondent in Geneva, Schifferli, who is an expert oninternational law regarding sovereignty disputes, said all countries, big orsmall, must comply with international law in the spirit of respect for law,referring to China’s defiance of the Hague-based Permanent Court ofArbitration’s ruling on the Philippines’ lawsuit against China’s claim in theEast Sea.
He affirmed that security inthe East Sea is of special importance as it not only affects regional countriesbut also has close relations with peace and security in the world.
Many countries in theregion and the world have supported the respect for international law and freedomof navigation, therefore, China’s defiance of international law as well aslegitimate and legal interests of other nations in the East Sea will becondemned by the international community, the expert stressed.
The Swiss lawyer saidmember states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) havetraditionally used international law in settling marine disputes, expressinghis belief that, with its increasing position in the international arena, thebloc might find out proper measures to cope with China in the East Sea issues./.
VNA
