Deputy Foreign Minister and Chairman of the National Boundary Commission Le Hoai Trung (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam has made effortsto address unsolved problems on border, territory, sea and islands over theyears, ensuring the country’s sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction,said Deputy Foreign Minister and Chairman of the National Boundary CommissionLe Hoai Trung.
He made the remark in a recent interview withthe press, highlighting the outcomes of border and territory-related work in 2017and plans for this year.
He said Vietnam and neighbouring countries havecomplied with treaties and agreements on border, kept peace and stability inborder areas, protected the borderline and border markers well and ensuredsocial order and safety.
Along the Vietnam-China land border, the twosides have coordinated in border management and protection via the protocol on borderdemarcation and marker planting, the agreement on border management regulationsand the agreement on border gates and border gate management regulationsbetween the two countries.
Bilateral border management mechanisms,including the Vietnam-China Land Border Joint Committee, the CooperationCommittee on Vietnam-China Land Border Gates and the joint working committee ofthe four Vietnamese border provinces and China’s Guangxi Zhuang AutonomousRegion, have continued to fulfill their tasks. Bilateral patrols, informationexchange, cooperation in cross-border crime fight, phone calls, routine talksand pairing of border villages have been effective, Trung noted.
Regarding the Vietnam-Laos border, the officialsaid the two countries finished internal and external procedures so that twoimportant legal documents, namely the protocol on borderline and border markersand the agreement on land border and border gate management regulations, tookeffect on September 5, 2017.
The two sides also held the 27th annual meetingof their border delegations to review the implementation of the Vietnam-Laosagreement on national border regulations and the minutes of the 26th meeting.They also worked out coordination plans for 2018.
He added last year, border localities and forcesof Vietnam and Laos worked closely to implement patrols, cooperation andexchange activities and deal with incidents emerging in border areas.People-to-people exchanges, goods trading, healthcare examination and treatmentand experience sharing between border localities were maintained.
Meanwhile, by the end of 2017, Vietnam andCambodia had completed about 84 percent of the border demarcation and markerplanting work, he said.
Ministries, sectors and localities of Vietnamhave stepped up the management of the countries’ land border to protectattained border demarcation and marker planting outcomes.
Vietnam and Cambodia have worked closely tomanage the border according to the 1983 agreement on border regulations, the1995 press release and other relevant agreements. They have also coordinated tohandle incidents emerging along the shared border.
[Patrol road built along Vietnam-Cambodia border]
The deputy minister said implementing the Resolution adoptedat the 12th National Party Congress on fighting to firmly protect nationalindependence, sovereignty, unification and territorial integrity, Vietnamspared no effort to resolve outstanding border, sea and island matters in 2017,ensuring the country’s sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction.
Vietnam and Cambodia are determined to defineand to build 1,722 auxiliary markers on the shared border line in the firstquarter of 2018. The two sides completed 84 percent of the work in late 2017and are preparing dossiers to legalise this accomplishment soon.
He noted the two countries have been seekingfair and appropriate solutions to address shortcomings in the field to completeland border demarcation and planting and build a shared border of peace,stability, friendship and cooperation for the sake of the two peoples.
Regarding the East Sea issue, Vietnam remainspersistent to safeguard the country’s sovereignty, sovereign rights andjurisdiction over its waters, continental shelf and islands based oninternational law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law ofthe Sea for peace, cooperation and development in the East Sea.
In 2017, Vietnam maintained and promotednegotiation mechanisms on marine issues, including the governmental-levelborder talks between Vietnam and China in March 2017 and informal meetings ofworking groups on Vietnam-China maritime issues.
The country has continued fighting to protectsovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos andpromoting cooperation to address maritime matters to affirm the country’s jurisdictionand sovereign rights over its exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, aswell as the supremacy of law.
Trung said Vietnam also negotiated withIndonesia about the delimitation of exclusive economic zones and with Malaysiaabout maritime matters.
Vietnam worked with other ASEAN countries and Chinato adopt the Code of Conduct in the East Sea framework and presented its viewpointsat multilateral forums of the bloc and the United Nations.
Vietnam is also expanding maritime cooperationwith countries in and out of the region to exchange experience and seek a commonvoice in marine matters.
The Vietnamese government has directed departmentsto take measures to protect fishermen in Vietnamese waters, properly addressissues relating to violations of fishermen and fishing vessels in othercountries’ waters and prevent foreign fishing boats from illegal operation inVietnam’s waters.
[Vietnam, China work together to maintain peaceful border]
DeputyMinister Trung also underlined the significance of border-related work fordevelopment.
Heaffirmed that collaboration between Vietnam and neighbouring countries tomanage borderlines and border markers helps facilitate trade and ensure socialorder in border areas, contributing to promoting development and ensuringsecurity-defence.
This is a key task in border work, towards building of borderlines of peace,friendship, stability and cooperation for mutual sustainable development, hestressed.
According to the Deputy Minister, in recent years, apart from working withrelevant countries in addressing border issues to build borderlines of peace,friendship and stability, Vietnam has also worked with them to promote culturaland socio-economic development in border areas.
In November 2017, Vietnam and China signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU)on accelerating negotiations on the FrameworkAgreement to build across-border economic co-operationzone; the MoU on promotingconnection between the “Two Corridors, One Belt” framework andthe “Belt and Road” initiative.
The two sides also completed procedures to open a number of border gates, andcustoms clearance stations, helping border localities boost economic links,thus pushing socio-economic development.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is working on a project on planning thedevelopment of land-border gates between Vietnam and China in 2016-2025, with avision to 2035, he said, adding that the planning will facilitate the upgradeand construction of border gates along the Vietnam-China land border.
For Laos, the two countries are coordinating to map out master plans ondeveloping the Vietnam-Lao border gates system and border trade betweenthe two countries to 2025, with a vision through 2035.
The two sides also signed many agreements to connectcross-border roads, basically completed a pre-feasibility study report on theconstruction of Hanoi-Vientiane highway and worked to enhance cultural-sportexchange, and tourism development among Vietnamese and Lao border localities.
[Video: Vietnam – Laos loves flourish in border areas]
For Cambodia, the two sides established a joint-workinggroup for border-related issues, which is working on the building, upgrade anddevelopment of a shared land-border gate system, towards better servingdevelopment in the two nations.
The country’s efforts have contributed to stabilising and promotingsocio-economic development in border areas, laying a solid foundation for buildingborderlines of peace, friendship, stability and cooperation for mutualsustainable development between Vietnam and neighbouring countries, Trung said.
Hesaid the border, territory and island-related work reaped outstandingachievements in 2017, contributing to completing the target of maintaining apeaceful, stable and favourable environment in service of national development,and fulfilling the tasks of national construction and defence.
In2018, the East Sea situation is expected to continue developing complicatedlywith uncertainties, threatening peace and stability in the region and theinterests of countries concerned, according to Trung.
Therefore,the official said, border and territory-related work will focus on maintaining apeaceful and stable environment, while defending national territorial sovereignty.
Tothat end, Trung emphasised the need to manage the Vietnam-China land border inline with signed legal documents and closely monitor and promptly handleincidents occurring along the border.
Atthe same time, Vietnam will work harder to complete border marker planting andupgrading along its border with Laos, he said, adding that Vietnam will also workwith Cambodia to accelerate the legalisation of 84 percent of outcomes of landborder demarcation and marker planting achieved by the two countries.
Vietnamwill hold more talks to reach pragmatic results in the settlement ofsea-related issues with concerned nations, and participate in negotiationsbetween the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China onbuilding a Code of Conduct in the East Sea, the Deputy Minister said.
Hesaid Vietnam will enhance marine cooperation with relevant countries in theEast Sea and fight against violations of national sovereignty and sovereignrights in line with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Conventionon the Law of the Sea.
Overthe years, under the leadership of the Party and the State, plus the resolve ofthe people, officers and soldiers, Vietnam has made the best use ofopportunities and eased difficulties to protect its border security andnational sovereignty over its sea and islands, as well as its legal rights andinterests, contributing to ensuring a peaceful and stable environment for nationalconstruction and defence and deeper international integration, Trung said.
Thisyear, greater efforts will be made to address the remaining problems and fulfilthe targets, he added.
“Ifirmly believe that the border and territory work will attain more successes,contributing to completing the task of national construction and defence,” hesaid.-VNA
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