Vietnam supports the efforts undertaken by the international communityto combat all forms of terrorism, including acts of violence andextremism, Spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry Le Hai Binh declaredduring a press conference in Hanoi on September 25.
Anti-terrorism efforts needed to respect the United Nations Charter; thebasic principles of international law, including independence,sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries concerned; andguarantee safety for civilians, Binh said in response to the VietnamNews Agency’s question on Vietnam’s position on the US’ airstrike on theSyrian-based Islamic State.
A question was raisedon the Chinese army’s upcoming large-scale live fire test in thesouthern part of Hainan Island, near Vietnam’s Hoang Sa archipelago, andthe impact it would have on Vietnamese fishermen in the area.
Binh replied that following the announcement made by China’s maritimeadministration on September 24, relevant agencies have been verifyingthe information and took necessary precautions to protect Vietnamesefishermen operating in the national fishing grounds in the East Sea.
He affirmed that the Vietnamese Governmentcontinuously employed all the necessary measures to ensure fishingoperations ran smoothly in traditional fishing grounds.
Binh said China’s recent move to convert submerged rocks in Vietnam’sTruong Sa archipelago, including Gac Ma Reef, into man-made islandsaltered the status quo and contradicted the Declaration on the Conductof Parties in the East Sea (DOC). He affirmed that all activitiesconducted by the parties concerned in the East Sea needed to respect thesovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction of the countriesinvolved.
He added that these activities needed toabide by international law, particularly the 1982 United NationsConvention on the Law of the Sea and the DOC. In general, parties shouldnot complicate the situation with any further action.
“We hold on to the view that, in the current situation, all sidesshould take responsibility for maintaining peace and stability in theEast Sea,” the spokesman emphasised.
Whenasked about the situation of Vietnamese nationals in Iraq and Syria,Binh said there were no Vietnamese working or living in Iraq. Accordingto information provided by the Vietnamese Embassy in Iran and Syria,there is currently only one Vietnamese working in Syria.
The embassy is cooperating with relevant Syrian agencies and theInternational Organisation for Migration on the necessary procedures torepatriate the citizen, the Spokesman said.-VNA
