Emeritus Professor Carl Thayer (Photo: VNA) Emeritus Professor Carl Thayer at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) at the Australian Defence Force Academy toldthe Vietnam News Agency on the sidelines of the conference that Vietnam has tailored the conferencesincreasingly to focus on issues of concern to the international community, andthe conferences help participants learn more and go deeper into various issues inthe waters.
Meanwhile, Professor Rober Beckman from theNational University of Singapore’s Centre for International Law described theconference as useful and interesting with a lot of important discussions held.
Delegates,especially those from Europe and outside Southeast Asia, all want to gain better understanding about thedifficulties and challenges with respect to the East Sea dispute.
With a view to luminating the grey zone and lighting up the blue, he said itwill be useful to continue to have discussions about the grey zone, and have people analyse not only what’s happening in Southeast Asia, but also what’s happingin other parts of Asia.
Earlier, in his opening remarks at the conference, Deputy Minister of ForeignAffairs Do Hung Viet said the East SeaConference series has provided an open, candid, friendly environment for regionaland international experts to come together to advance mutual understanding, andnarrow differences.
The official said he hopes that in the next 15years, the dialogue will further evolve into a key region-wide maritimesecurity forum, one that is open, inclusive and innovative in nature, a meetingpoint and hub of interests spanning from the “Indo” to the “Pacific” and beyond.
The conference has contributed to promoting transparency, building a network ofexperts, and creating a platform to discuss regional issues.
Only maritime cooperation can help countries change the East Sea from grey toblue towards peace and sustainable development, he said, adding it is necessaryto strictly follow international laws, including 1982 UN Convention on the Lawof the Sea (UNCLOS)./.
VNA
