VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam’s Law of the Sea was adopted by 495 out of 496 National Assembly (NA) deputies on June 21, accounting for 99.8 percent of the vote.

Before voting for the approval, Chairman of the NA Committee for Legal Affairs, Phan Trung Ly, presented a report concerning NA deputies’ opinions on the draft Law of the Sea.

The same day, the NA adopted the Advertising Law with 97.4 percent of the votes while the revised Law on Water Resources was passed with 95.8 percent.

473 out of 479 deputies adopted the resolution approving the final accounts for the 2010 budget with 98.7 percent of votes.

The NA also passed a resolution on implementing legal policies concerning public investment in agriculture and rural development with a majority 97.19 percent in favour.

Vietnam rejects China accusations

The adoption of the Law on the Sea by the Vietnamese National Assembly on June 21 is a normal law-making activity to perfect the country’s legal framework so as to facilitate its international integration and boost its co-operation with other countries for the sake of peace and stability in the region and the world.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Luong Thanh Nghi made in this statement on July 21 in rejection of China’s unreasonable accusations of Vietnam’s legitimate act.

It was more serious that China had improved the establishment of the so-called “Sansha City” that covers Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos, Nghi said, reaffirming that Vietnam had indisputable legal basis and historical evidence of its sovereignty over the islands.

“Vietnam resolutely rejects the unreasonable accusations by the China and at the same time strongly opposes China’s establishment of the so-called ‘Sansha City’,” Nghi stressed.

He said the mentioning of the two archipelagos in the newly-passed law was the continuation of a number of provisions in Vietnam’s existing laws and that this will not affect the search for basic and long-term solutions to the disputes over the East Sea.

“Now as before, Vietnam advocates to settle the differences and disputes over the East Sea by peaceful means and on the basis of international laws, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC)”, the official said.

He further added that Vietnam always attaches importance to its relations and bilateral comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership with China for mutual and for peace, stability and cooperation in the region and the world.

VNN/VNS/VOV