Vietnam will adopt every suitable and necessary peaceful measure to
defend sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction as well as its
legal and legitimate national interests in the East Sea in accordance
with the UN Charter, international law and the 1982 UN Convention on the
Law of the Sea (1982 UNCLOS).
Foreign Ministry
spokesperson Luong Thanh Nghi made the statement in Hanoi on April 26
while answering reporters’ questions on Vietnam ’s response to the
President of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS)’s
appointment of arbitrators to the Ad hoc Arbitration Tribunal that was
established pursuant to Annex VII of the 1982 UNCLOS.
Nghi stressed that Vietnam learnt that on January 22, the Filipino
Foreign Ministry sent to the Chinese Embassy a diplomatic note attached
with a notice and declaration on the Philippines’ proceedings against
China to the Ad hoc Arbitration Tribunal set up under Annex VII of the
1982 UNCLOS, and on April 24, the ITLOS President completed the
appointment of arbitrators to the tribunal.
“As a
coastal country with its legal and legitimate national rights and
interests in the East Sea, Vietnam takes an interest in and keep a close
watch on the process of the lawsuit”, he said.
Vietnam has sufficient legal and historical evidence and management
realities affirming sovereignty, sovereign right and jurisdiction over
its waters in accordance with the 1982 UNCLOS, international treaties to
which Vietnam is a member, and the country’s legal documents.
“Vietnam once again affirms its sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong
Sa archipelagos, as well as sovereignty, sovereign right and
jurisdiction over its internal and territorial waters, contiguous zone,
exclusive economic zone and continental shelf in the East Sea”, Nghi
stressed.
Vietnam suggests concerned parties
seriously and fully implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties
in the East Sea (DOC) signed between ASEAN member nations and China
in 2002, and the Joint Declaration of the 15 th ASEAN–China Summit on
the occasion of the 10 th anniversary of the DOC, he said.
The spokesperson added that Vietnam hopes ASEAN member states and
China will promptly conduct official negotiations to formulate a Code of
Conduct in the East Sea (COC).-VNA