Int'l maritime security seminar concludes in Ha Long

The event was organized by the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam (DAV) and the Delegation of the European Union to Vietnam. 

Delegates discussed proposals to boost cooperation in maritime development and security. 

In the fourth working session participants touched upon the regional security structure and several sea cooperation mechanisms around the world with a view to seeking a suitable model for the region. 

Experts also recommended countries in the region boosting dialogues on improving capability, building an information-sharing system and a joint action programme. 

They suggested a collective security mechanism for Asia following the European model.  

The fifth and final session looked at ways to apply international laws and the settlement of issues through the Court of Arbitration set up under the UNCLOS’s Appendix VII. Some speakers highlighted the importance of the UNCLOS in general and the convention’s dispute settlement mechanism in particular. 

Participants agreed that political will, measures to build trust, respecting principles and international laws and mutual respect are the keys to overcoming differences on sovereignty claims, territorial waters and distance in the ability to cooperate and protect the sea.