Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)

Lauding Vietnam’s proposals, Professor Giuseppe Cataldi from the University of Naples “L’Orientale”, who is President of the International Association of Maritime Law, reiterated Vietnam’s call for relevant parties to intensify dialogue and cooperation and respect international law, particularly the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Agreeing with Vietnam’s view that UNCLOS is the "Constitution" of the seas and oceans, Cataldi said that countries need to comply with the provisions of this original legal document and avoid unilateral actions that may escalate current maritime disputes.

Dr. Antonio Albanese, expert in world geopolitics, director of AGC Communication, assessed that Vietnam’s proposals not only show the universality in the global context, but also contribute to promoting a substantive approach to solving specific problems of the region. Vietnam has affirmed its support for ensuring maritime security based on clear and consistent rules within the UN framework and concretised into common codes of conduct, he stated.

Vietnam’s stance of resolutely opposing any unilateral actions and seeking multilateral and peaceful solutions is a suitable choice for interests of each country and the globe’s common interests, thus ensuring equal access for all countries, especially in the fields of international trade and navigation, he added.

As an expert in Asian geopolitics, Prof. Antonio Fallico, President of the Conoscere Eurasia Association in Veneto, stated that Vietnam’s proposals clearly demonstrated a foreign policy of peace and cooperation and its responsibility for regional and international stability and security.

With these specific initiatives and under the direction of the new Government, Vietnam will continue to make more contributions to dialogue efforts, enhance trust, and promote efficiency of sea values for the benefits of each country and the common goal of peace and prosperity of the mankind, said Fallico.

PM’s speech at UNSC debate on maritime security draws Czech scholars’ attention

Czech experts on August 11 appreciated the speech that Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh had delivered at the virtual UNSC High-level Open Debate on “Enhancing Maritime Security – A Case for International Cooperation” two days ago.

As maritime security is a global issue drawing more and more attention from the international community, and PM Chinh’s speech clearly demonstrated Vietnam’s role and position in the international arena, contributing to protecting and strengthening maritime security for peace, stability and development in the region and in the world, according to them.

Dr. Takashi Hosoda, an expert on Vietnam and the Asia-Pacific from the Czech Republic’s Charles University, said that the speech is considered an important milestone for the relations between Vietnam and India because the Prime Minister of India - the rotating Chairman of the UN Security Council - was the one who takes the initiative to organise, and also presides over the UNSC meeting.

Vietnam and India play increasingly important roles in ensuring the maintenance of maritime security in the East Sea and the Indo-Pacific as well as resolving issues related to peace and security in the region. The two countries also share many strategic similarities, so it is very important for Vietnam to intensify cooperation with India, Hosoda stated.

He spoke highly of the proposals made by the Vietnamese Government leader to contribute to solving maritime security challenges, especially the need for the international community to raise awareness of the importance of maritime security as well as threats to marine security.

To that end, the expert suggested Vietnam make specific contributions within the bilateral and multilateral cooperation frameworks, including the cooperation mechanisms between the European Union (EU) and Asian countries such as the EU Critical Maritime Route Wider Indian Ocean (CRIMARIO).

In that spirit, Vietnam needs to focus on improving its capacity of maritime and air patrols and the research of maritime vessels, take the lead in raising awareness of maritime security in ASEAN through bilateral and multilateral cooperation mechanisms, and strengthen its role in connecting countries interested in maritime security, he added.

Dr. Jan Hornat, an Indo-Pacific expert from Charles University, held that the Vietnamese PM’s speech shows the country’s active and proactive engagement in ensuring maritime security – the current hot issue of the international community. This helps enhance Vietnam’s position in the world arena, especially in maintaining order in international waters based on the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982.

Meanwhile, Alex Svamberg, a journalist specialised on Asia-Pacific security, commented that PM Chinh’s speech reflects Vietnam’s wish to ensuring a regional environment of stability and ending unilateral actions violating international law in the East Sea.

According to Svamberg, the EU is showing its increasing interest in ensuring maritime freedom in the East Sea – one of the important international maritime routes.

The Czech journalist held that proposals given by the Vietnamese PM showed Vietnam’s policy of settling the East Sea issues through peaceful measures on the basis of international law, especially the UNCLOS 1982, and ensuring maritime and aviation freedom in the East Sea through multilateral solutions for peace, stability and development in the region and the world. This is an approach receiving support from the international community, Svamberg said.

British geostrategist praises Vietnam's maritime security initatives

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's intervention at the United Nations Security Council High-level Open Debate on “Enhancing Maritime Security - A Case for International Cooperation” is very important, according to Dr. James Rogers, Co-founder and Director of Research at the UK's Council on Geostrategy.

In an interview given to the Vietnam News Agency correspondent in the UK on August 12, Dr. Rogers, who specialises in British geostrategic and maritime power, and Euro-Atlantic, Indo-Pacific and Polar geopolitics, pointed to the significance of the three proposals on maritime security made by the Vietnamese Prime Minister in his speech at the debate held virtually on August 9.

Commenting on PM Chinh's proposal on awareness of seas and oceans, Dr. Rogers said this is very important not only in countries surrounding the South China Sea (East Sea) but also globally. Given the significance of the sea for the system of international commerce, it is important to maintain it open and free for access by all countries, he said, stressing the necessity to support Vietnam in upholding this important right.

Dr. Rogers said although most countries have signed the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which governs the behaviors that countries can undertake at sea, some countries have ignored rules and regulations they subscribed to in the past. That is the problem for all countries, not just those around the East Sea, he said.

The British expert acknowledged the importance of regional coordination for maritime security in the East Sea as proposed by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, pointing out that this should be facilitated not only in the UN, but also in ASEAN, particularly in relation to regulations of the Code of Conduct of Parties in the East Sea. He also pointed to the necessity for a coordination mechanism that encourages countries to uphold important maritime norms established through the UNCLOS system.

He agreed with the Vietnamese PM's point that regulations and conducts of states at sea must comply with both the UN Charter and UNCLOS system, saying that any additional future policy or proposals in relation to the East Sea security and maritime rights must correspond to these rules and regulations that the countries have subscribed to.

He said it is very good seeing Vietnam as an important regional power and close partner with many different countries in the world, including the UK, taking the lead in bringing this issue to international attention. He also acknowledged the role of Vietnam and its support and leadership in dealing with security issues in the East Sea, given the country's important location off the waters.

Regarding maritime security cooperation between Vietnam and the UK, Dr. Rogers said the two countries will have many different opportunities in the coming years given the UK's increasing presence in the Indo-Pacific region.

He said the UK's deployment of the carrier strike group (CSG 21) in the region demonstrates that the country is undertaking its tilt towards the Indo-Pacific, which was put forward in the UK government's integrated review of security, defence, development and foreign policy released in March this year.

He pointed out that the UK understands the strategic significance of the Indo-Pacific and the East Sea in Southeast Asia in particular, and therefore, takes the region seriously when deploying its largest and most powerful maritime group into the region.

As the UK intends to deploy later this year two patrol vessels permanently into the region beyond the periodic deployment, which will interact with regional partners, of which Vietnam is an important one, Dr. Rogers said he sees the prospect for enhancing Vietnam-UK cooperation, given the two countries have similar interests in relation to maritime security and in the East Sea./.

Vietnam’s initiatives to respond to maritime security challenges lauded

Talking to Vietnam News Agency’s correspondents in Berlin, Dr. Gerhard Will, a former expert on the East Sea at the German institute for political science, said that the speech once again affirms Vietnam’s viewpoint and policy in ensuring maritime security and peacefully addressing conflicts at sea, as well as proposing specific solutions in this regard. This shows the country’s important role in maintaining peace, stability and maritime security in the region.

According to him, maritime security is a very important issue for Vietnam because it has wide waters, a long coastline, and an economy that is highly dependent on import and export activities and closely linked with the world economy.

Sharing the same view, Prof. Thomas Engelbert from the Asia - Africa Institute under the Hamburg University of Germany stated that Vietnam - one of the main stakeholders in disputes in the East Sea - plays an important role in the peaceful settlement of this issue.

So far, every initiative that Vietnam has made has aimed at seeking a peaceful solution to or peacefully addressing disputes, he stressed.

In order to ensure and maintain maritime security, he suggested relevant countries respect international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Russian opinion appreciates Vietnam’s initiatives related to maritime security

The Russian opinion has had positive evaluation on three proposals made by Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at the virtual United Nations Security Council (UNSC) High-Level Open Debate, held on August 9, to effectively respond to maritime security challenges.

Russia’s leading e-newspaper Infox.ru on August 12 ran an article titled “Three steps to peace at sea” by Grigory Trofimchuk, Chairman of the Expert Council of the Foundation for the Support of Scientific Research “Workshop of Eurasian Ideas”.

The author said that with its three proposals, Vietnam not only reminded the world of the risks of territorial disputes and shared responsibility for possible consequences, but also introduced specific points that should be implemented with the help of international efforts.

Trofimchuk expressed his belief that the proposals will become a new start for achieving a lasting peace in the East Sea, which will become an example for replicating this approach in other parts of the world.

Assessing Vietnam’s responsible behaviour in the international arena, the expert wrote Vietnam regularly shows its positivity and dynamism in its activities, contributing to seeking peaceful solutions and participating in all activities within the framework of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), as well as between ASEAN and its partners to settle disputes in the East Sea; while promoting professional dialogue and establishing multilateral cooperation.

On the same day, the “Argumenti I Fakti” (Arguments and Facts) newspaper also posted an article affirming that Vietnam’s three maritime arguments are consistent with international law.

According to the article, security, stability and freedom of navigation in the East Sea has become a common issue of the region and the world. In that context, the speech by Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, with three important proposals to strengthen international cooperation and unify actions to promptly and effectively respond to maritime security challenges, is interesting.

Talking to the Vietnam News Agency correspondent in Russia, analyst Valeria Vershinina from the ASEAN Centre under the Moscow Diplomatic Academy (MGIMO) appreciated Vietnam’s approach to addressing regional security issues and potential Vietnam - Russia cooperation in ensuring maritime security.

According to the Russian expert, the participation of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in such an important event proves the international community’s high confidence in Vietnam.

The Vietnamese Government leader soundly pointed out to today's traditional and non-traditional challenges to maritime security that require global response.

Vershinina affirmed that Vietnam’s approach to maritime security is completely correct and coincides with Russia’s official viewpoint.

It is necessary to combine joint efforts to make progress in this direction, with the participation of international organisations, regional structures such as ASEAN, ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), while maintaining the central role of the United Nations, Vershinina added./.

Source: VNA

PM’s remarks at UNSC high-level open debate on enhancing maritime security

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh delivered the remarks at the UNSC High-level Open Debate on “Enhancing Maritime Security – A Case for International Cooperation” which was held virtually on August 9.