1982 UNCLOS most important legal tool to preserve regional peace: workshop
Implementing the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982 UNCLOS) and other international instruments to address emerging maritime issues has been the focus of a workshop in Hanoi on November 30 and December 1.
Hanoi (VNA) – Implementing the 1982United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982 UNCLOS) and otherinternational instruments to address emerging maritime issues has been thefocus of a workshop in Hanoi on November 30 and December 1.
The hybrid ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) workshop,co-organised by the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the EU, Australiaand New Zealand, brought together about 200 representatives from 27 ARF membercountries, regional and international organisations, diplomatic offices,research institutes, ministries and agencies.
In his opening remarks, Assistant to the Minister ofForeign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu reiterated the significance of the 1982 UNCLOS,especially in the context of emerging challenges to the settlement of maritime issues,requiring intensive and extensive international cooperation.
The 1982 UNCLOS is an important basis for countriesin the region to enhance trust and cooperation, for peace, security andprosperity, he stressed, adding that all disputes and maritime issues should beaddressed by peaceful measures in line with international law, including the Convention.
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Vu viewed the workshop as a demonstration ofregional commitment to international cooperation to cope with the challenges.
Thomas Wiersing, deputy head of the EU Delegation toVietnam, emphasised the leading role of ASEAN in promoting peace and stabilityin the region, affirming the EU’s support for the early completion of a substantiveand legally-binding Code of Conduct (COC) in the East Sea.
Chargé d'affaires of the Australian Embassy in HanoiMark Tattersall spoke highly of the ARF’s role in security and cooperation dialoguesin Indo-Pacific.
Delegates shared the view that the 1982 UNCLOS isthe most crucial legal tool to maintain peace and stability in the region,creating a framework to push ahead with the settlement of both traditional andemerging maritime issues in the region./.
Nearly 100 member states of the Group of Friends on the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) held a ceremony on June 14 to mark 40 years since the adoption of the convention.
Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said on August 23 that member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are once again accelerating negotiations on a Code of Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (COC).
Since becoming a signatory to UNCLOS 1982, Vietnam has remained a responsible member and has made significant efforts to endorse and implement its provisions, according to an article posted on Fulcrum.sg, a website of Singapore.
Addressing the meeting, Party General Secretary To Lam expressed his pleasure at meeting a large number of Vietnamese living and working in the RoK, acknowledging and appreciating their efforts in contributing to the growing Vietnam–RoK partnership.
He also welcomed the “Vietnam Private Sector Panorama” as a platform for dialogue, awareness-raising, and inspiring a wealth-creation movement, emphasising that it must deliver tangible results.
During a meeting on August 10 in Seoul with 100 representatives from the RoK’s intellectuals, associations, people’s organisations, businesses, and non-governmental organisations operating in Vietnam, Party General Secretary To Lam expressed his gratitude to Korean friendship, economic, cultural associations, universities, research institutes, individuals, and NGOs for their significant contributions to nurturing the Vietnam–RoK relationship.
Party General Secretary To Lam met with Chairman of the Republic of Korea (RoK)–Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Group Ahn Gyu-back in Seoul on August 10 as part of his state visit to the RoK.
The National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee is scheduled to convene its 48th session on August 11-13, with August 14-15 set as a backup date, according to the NA Office.
Vietnam’s Ambassador to Brazil and Bolivia Bui Van Nghi has led an embassy delegation to attend official events marking the 200th anniversary of Bolivia’s Independence Day.
Party General Secretary To Lam met with members of the Vietnam Innovation Network in Korea (VINK) and Vietnamese experts living and working in the Republic of Korea (RoK) in Seoul on August 10 as part of his state visit to the RoK.
In an interview with Korean media on the occasion of Party General Secretary To Lam’s state visit to the RoK, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son affirmed that the visit demonstrates Vietnam’s strong resolve to further deepen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with the RoK, with the aim of fostering greater political trust, closer strategic coordination, more substantive and comprehensive cooperation, and stronger bonds of friendship between the two countries' people.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, who is also a Politburo member and Secretary of the Government Party Committee, attended the 4th Party Congress of the EVN Party Organisation for the 2025–2030 tenure on August 10, directing EVN to ensure power supply to meet the country’s development demands with double-digit growth set for the coming years.
Party General Secretary To Lam and his spouse Ngo Phuong Ly, along with a high-ranking delegation of Vietnam arrived in Seongnam Air Base in Seoul on August 10 afternoon (local time), beginning a state visit to the Republic of Korea from August 10-13.
General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee To Lam and his spouse Ngo Phuong Ly departed from Hanoi on August 10 morning for a four-day state visit to the Republic of Korea (RoK), which is made at an invitation of RoK President Lee Jae Myung.
As part of the ASEAN Day celebrations, the Vietnamese embassy will also host the ASEAN Family Day 2025 in Ottawa to foster solidarity and community spirit among ASEAN members in Canada.
State President Luong Cuong’s trip once again reaffirmed the Party and State’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification and multilateralisation of relations. It also reflected the strong trend of enhanced cooperation among countries of the Global South in shaping a new, more multipolar, fair and equitable world order.
The outcomes of Party General Secretary To Lam's visit will serve as a driving force and source of inspiration for the two countries to inherit, promote, and elevate their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, contributing to the national construction and development cause in each country, and to peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 9 inspected the construction site of the new Phong Chau bridge, and surveyed a planned route for the Lao Cai – Hanoi – Hai Phong railway section running through the northern province of Phu Tho.
Across print, broadcast, and online platforms, Angolan media portrayed State President Luong Cuong's visit as a warm and historic occasion, strengthening bilateral ties and boosting Vietnam’s presence in Africa through the AU.
The 500kV Lao Cai – Vinh Yen power transmission line has a total investment of over 7.41 trillion VND (282.5 million USD), and a total length of 229.5 km, passing through 31 communes in the two provinces, and comprising 468 transmission tower foundations.
The visits reflected the elevated position of Vietnam’s foreign policy in the new era—aimed at not only advancing ties with key regional partners like Egypt and Angola but also delivering a strategic message about Vietnam’s commitment to deepening relations with African nations as a whole.
At their talks and meetings, President Cuong and Angola’s top leaders affirmed that the close brotherhood and traditional friendship are a valuable shared asset and a solid foundation for the two nations to advance into a new phase of development.
The ruling People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) attaches great importance to the friendship, solidarity, and comradeship with the Communist Party of Vietnam, and voiced her Party’s wish to further deepen and expand relations between the two sides for the benefit of the Vietnamese and Angolan people.
At the workshop (Photo: VNA) 
Illustrative image (Source: Unclos.jpg) 
