VietNamNet Bridge – Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Quang Vinh chaired a press conference in Manila, the Philippines on May 22 to announce Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung’s activities at the World Economic Forum on East Asia, during which foreign correspondents voiced their special attention to the East Sea dispute.

PM Dung (second from right) at the opening session (Photo: VNA)

Vinh delivered key excerpts of PM Dung’s speeches at the WEF plenary and discussion sessions, in which the leader stressed that peace, security, maritime safety and freedom in the East Sea are indispensable to development while referring to China’s illegal dispatch of its oil rig Haiyang Shiyou – 981 deep in Vietnam’s waters.

“This move is a serious violation of international law, the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea, hurting regional and world economy”.

“Vietnam has exercised its utmost restraint, sincerely expressed every peaceful means via different dialogue channels with China to protest and ask for its withdrawal of oil rig and vessels out of Vietnam’s waters,” Vinh quoted the PM as saying.

Asked about what measures Vietnam will take to resolve the row, Vinh reiterated that Vietnam will continue to insist that China pull the rig and ships out of the area. He stated that the Vietnamese government will continue to use peaceful means in line with international law to safeguard sovereignty.

The country will continue communicating through dialogue channels to maintain traditional ties with China, Vinh added.

In an interview granted to Vietnamese media later, Vinh said during the two-day working trip starting from May 21, the government leader held talks with host President Benigno S. Aquino III. Both leaders pledged to shore up bilateral ties on diverse fronts under the Vietnam – Philippines Action Plan for 2011-2016.

They agreed to establish a joint working committee which will be responsible for building a roadmap forging their strategic partnership. The two countries will join ASEAN and the world community to resolutely oppose China’s claims to almost all parts of the East Sea, and ask it to withdraw the rig and ships out of Vietnam’s waters without delay.

At the forum, PM Dung underscored the need to create fresh driving forces for regional economic growth while describing the international community’s unity and protest as necessary to prevent such violations of international law as China did.

Later on the same day, PM Dung and his entourage left Manila for Hanoi.

VNS/VNN