The contents of the recent Vietnam-China agreement on basic principlesguiding the settlement of sea issues are in total conformity with theDeclaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and Vietnam’s consistent standpoint on the peaceful settlement of East Seadisputes.
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Luong ThanhNghi made this affirmation in Hanoi on Oct. 20 while answeringreporters’ question on Vietnam’s response to comments in severalforeign newspapers that the agreement is a withdrawal from the DOC andthat Vietnam and China agreed to address East Sea issuesbilaterally, even for disputed areas between numerous sides.
According to Nghi, in this agreement, Vietnam and China agreedto only solve sea-related disputes between them bilaterally and disputesthat relate to other countries will be resolved through friendly talksand negotiations (Point 3 of the Agreement).
Heaffirmed Vietnam ’s consistent standpoint on the peaceful settlement ofEast Sea disputes is that disputes relating to two countries willbe solved bilaterally by the two concerned countries and disputesrelating to many countries will be discussed for settlement by allconcerned countries, while issues on a regional or global scale shouldhave suitable multilateral approaches.
“Therefore, an opinion that the above-mentioned agreement is a withdrawal from the DOC is groundless,” he stressed.
On the significance of the agreement, Nghi affirmed that the signingof the agreement reflected positive progress in the negotiation processon the settlement of sea issues.
The agreement hasdefined basic principles guiding the settlement of disputes in theEast Sea through peaceful measures on the basis of international lawand with the interests of concerned parties being taken intoconsideration, he said.
To find a transitional orlong-term solution for the East Sea dispute requires effortsand goodwill from both sides, he added.
The twosides should seriously implement the 1982 UN Convention on the Law ofthe Sea and the DOC as mentioned in the agreement and respect theprinciples of international law, said Nghi.
Regarding reporters’ question on information relating to the contents ofthe draft Law of the Sea, the spokesman said that like other coastalcountries, Vietnam ’s building of a law regulating sea-relatedsocio-economic, security and defence activities is a necessary andnormal process in line with international practices and meets the demandfor national construction and development.
Likeother bills, the process of creating, considering, collecting ideas andapproving the Law of the Sea has been implemented in conformity with theregulations of the Vietnamese law, he said.
Basedon preparations for the draft law, the NA will consider and decide whichbill to be put on the table or adopted, he said./.
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Luong ThanhNghi made this affirmation in Hanoi on Oct. 20 while answeringreporters’ question on Vietnam’s response to comments in severalforeign newspapers that the agreement is a withdrawal from the DOC andthat Vietnam and China agreed to address East Sea issuesbilaterally, even for disputed areas between numerous sides.
According to Nghi, in this agreement, Vietnam and China agreedto only solve sea-related disputes between them bilaterally and disputesthat relate to other countries will be resolved through friendly talksand negotiations (Point 3 of the Agreement).
Heaffirmed Vietnam ’s consistent standpoint on the peaceful settlement ofEast Sea disputes is that disputes relating to two countries willbe solved bilaterally by the two concerned countries and disputesrelating to many countries will be discussed for settlement by allconcerned countries, while issues on a regional or global scale shouldhave suitable multilateral approaches.
“Therefore, an opinion that the above-mentioned agreement is a withdrawal from the DOC is groundless,” he stressed.
On the significance of the agreement, Nghi affirmed that the signingof the agreement reflected positive progress in the negotiation processon the settlement of sea issues.
The agreement hasdefined basic principles guiding the settlement of disputes in theEast Sea through peaceful measures on the basis of international lawand with the interests of concerned parties being taken intoconsideration, he said.
To find a transitional orlong-term solution for the East Sea dispute requires effortsand goodwill from both sides, he added.
The twosides should seriously implement the 1982 UN Convention on the Law ofthe Sea and the DOC as mentioned in the agreement and respect theprinciples of international law, said Nghi.
Regarding reporters’ question on information relating to the contents ofthe draft Law of the Sea, the spokesman said that like other coastalcountries, Vietnam ’s building of a law regulating sea-relatedsocio-economic, security and defence activities is a necessary andnormal process in line with international practices and meets the demandfor national construction and development.
Likeother bills, the process of creating, considering, collecting ideas andapproving the Law of the Sea has been implemented in conformity with theregulations of the Vietnamese law, he said.
Basedon preparations for the draft law, the NA will consider and decide whichbill to be put on the table or adopted, he said./.
