Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnam, as a State Party to UNCLOS 1982 and a coastal nation bordering the East Sea, always respects the rights to freedom of navigation and overflight of all countries in the East Sea in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The statement was made by spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang on June 4 while responding to reporters’ questions at the Foreign Ministry’s regular press briefing regarding recent statements by China and the Netherlands concerning the activities of the Dutch naval vessel HNLMS De Ruyter in waters around Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel), Hang reiterated Vietnam’s consistent position.
“Vietnam has full historical evidence and legal grounds to affirm its sovereignty over Hoang Sa in accordance with international law. Vietnam requests that other countries respect this reality,” she stated.
Answering questions on Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet’s announcement that Cambodia had notified Thailand and the United Nations Secretary-General of its intention to initiate compulsory conciliation procedures regarding a maritime dispute in the Gulf of Thailand, the spokesperson said that Vietnam welcomes efforts by the parties concerned to settle disputes and differences through peaceful means in accordance with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the United Nations Charter, and the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, thereby contributing positively to the maintenance of peace and stability in the region.
Regarding measures taken to protect the interests of two Vietnamese trainees who recently died in Japan, Hang said that immediately after receiving information about the incident, the Vietnamese Consulate General in Osaka contacted local authorities, the dispatching company and the receiving supervisory organisation to verify details and gather information.
According to a preliminary investigation by Japanese police, the two Vietnamese nationals were found unconscious while working at a pipeline construction site in Kusatsu city, Shiga prefecture. Although they were rushed to hospital for emergency treatment, both were later pronounced dead.
The Vietnamese Consulate General in Osaka is coordinating with the relevant Japanese authorities to determine the cause of the accident. At the same time, it is carrying out necessary consular protection measures, maintaining contact with the victims’ families to offer condolences and support, and providing guidance on funeral and repatriation procedures, Hang said.
“On this occasion, we would like to extend our deepest sympathies to the families of the two victims,” she added./.
