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PHÁI ĐOÀN LIÊN MINH CHÂU ÂU TẠI VIỆT NAM
DELEGATION OF THE EUROPEAN UNION TO VIET NAM
HỌC VIỆN NGOẠI GIAO
DIPLOMATIC ACADEMY OF VIET NAM
PRESS RELEASE
High-Level Workshop:
“Maritime Issues and United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea:
Sharing European and Asian Approaches to Territorial Disputes”
4-5 June 2015, Halong Bay
Ha Long – Today, Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam (DAV) in cooperation with the EU Delegation in
Hanoi through EU-Vietnam Strategic Dialogue Facility is organizing a High-Level Workshop on
“Maritime Issues and UNCLOS: Sharing European and Asian Approaches to Territorial Disputes” to
create a forum for European Union, Viet Nam national and international experts, academics and
practitioners to exchange views and experiences and best practices on various aspects related to
maritime issues. Moreover, the workshop also enhance the participants’ understanding and
knowledge of the functions and mechanisms of Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as well as of regional and
EU-Vietnam cooperation on the maritime aspects.
In the opening remarks, Mr. Dang Dinh Quy, President of Diplomatic Academy of Viet Nam shared:
“Five centuries ago, the British poet and politician Philip Sidney had the philosophy that: “Laws are not
made like lime-twigs or nets, to catch everything that toucheth them; but rather like sea-marks, to
guide from shipwreck the ignorant passenge”. From that perspective, international law should and
must be considered as the basis of consensus and cooperation instead of disagreement, because if
each person on the same boat sees a different lighthouse, it will be very difficult to navigate and
manage.Thus, the Ambassador hopes that upholding the spirit of frankness, sincerity and
receptiveness, the participants will have two full days of discussion to elaborate numerous issues,
including the existing problems in perception, explanation and application of the international Law of
the Sea so that recommendations can be produced for better management of disputer and prevention
of conflicts, aiming for adequate settlement of territorial disputes and thus, prompting peace and
development cooperation,” transforming disputed seas and East Sea into the seas of cooperation and
peace” on the basis of international law, especially the 1982 UNCLOS”.
Ambassador Mr. Franz Jessen, Head of the European Union Delegation to Viet Nam, in his welcome
speech also expressed: “The EU has expressed its view that a long-term resolution of the differences
between the claimant parties in the South China Sea should be sought through dialogue and
negotiation based on international law, including UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The
EU has a long experience in crisis management and conflict prevention and is ready to assist the
interested parties. Based on its own experience the EU encourages joint management of resources,
separating the sovereignty issue from economic exploitation to contribute to confidence building.
Southeast Asian security and stability is a precondition for the region's continued economic success.
Southeast Asian nations cannot allow maritime disputes to pose a threat to the maritime safety,
freedom of navigation and peace of the nearby seas.”
The high level workshop was participated by leading foreign experts in the field from the European
Union, particularly Prof. Erik Franckx, Member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, President of
the Department of International and European Law, Vrije Universiteit Brussels, Belgium, Dr. Jur.
Helmut Tuerk, Former Judge of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea and Vice-President
of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, Prof. Dr. Liselotte Odgaard, Royal Danish Defense
College/Ministry of Defence, Copenhagen, Denmark, Dr. Eva Pejsova, Senior Analyst, EU Institute for
Security Studies, (EUISS), Paris, France and Prof. Ronan Long, Jean Monnet Chair of European Law,
School of Law, National University of Ireland Galway, Ireland.
Moreover, at the workshop key presentations were provided by Asian experts including Prof. Wang
Hanling, Director of Center for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, Chinese Academy of Social
Sciences (CASS), Beijing, China, Dr. XUE Guifang, Executive Director, Research Base on National
Marine Rights and Strategy, Center for Polar and Deep Ocean Development, Shanghai Jiao Tong
University, China, Amb. Hasjim Djalal, Special Adviser to the Minister of Maritime Affairs and
Fisheries, Indonesia, Prof. Jay Batongbacal, Director of the Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of
the Sea, University of the Philippines, Abd. Rahim Hussin, Formal Under Secretary, National Security
Council, Prime Minister’s Department, Malaysia and Prof. Mariko Kawano, Professor of International
Law, Faculty of Law Waseda University, Japan.
For representatives from Viet Nam, there were participation of Dr. Tran Truong Thuy, Director,
Foundation for East Sea Studies (FESS), Dr. Nguyen Dang Thang and Dr. Nguyen Thi Lan Anh,
International Law Faculty, Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, Dr. Ngo Huu Phuoc, International Law
Faculty of the HCMC University of Law.
The workshop discussed on various aspects related to maritime issues in Europe and the Asian region
including: The legal regime of features at sea from jurisprudence and state practices, the legal regime
of maritime zones ; maritime security: Incidents at Sea, Combating Armed Robbery and Piracy, Search
and Rescue, maritime domain awareness; maritime cooperation and ocean governance, and Maritime
Delimitation and Dispute Settlement.
The workshop attracts more than 140 participants from central GoV-agencies and ministries,
representatives of the diplomatic corps, academic/research institutions and key officials from several
Vietnamese provinces.
Background Information
The Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam was founded since 1956 and is affiliated with the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs. The Academy carries out strategic research in international relations and foreign
policies; undergraduate and graduate training and retraining of Foreign Service personnel; and serves
as think tank in foreign policy for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Party and the State.
The EU-Vietnam Strategic Dialogue Facility is a three-year program (2013-2016) funded by The
European Union, that aims to support Vietnam's development through the implementation of
activities in areas covered by the EU-Vietnam Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) signed in
2012.
Media Contacts: Ms. Nguyen Lan Nhi, Information & Communication Officer, EU - Vietnam Strategic
Dialogue Facility, Tel: +84 04. 35 16 26 96 Mobile: (+84) 983 841 907 Email: nhi.nguyenlan@EUVietnam-dialogue.vn