Regarding the Vietnamese submission, at a regular press conference of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs held on July 18, the Ministry’s spokesperson Pham Thu Hang said, "Vietnam's stance is clearly stated in the Statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam on the nation’s submission on the limits of the extended continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles in respect of the central area of the East Sea.”

To show both goodwill and a sense of responsibility, the country has informed relevant partners about this issue through diplomatic channels. Discussions have taken place amid a sincere, friendly, and frank atmosphere.

All countries recognise and respect the Vietnamese side’s right to present its submission on the limits of the extended continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles in line with the provisions of Article 76 of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

This comes after Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, permanent representative of Vietnam to the UN, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs delegation officially presented the Submission of Vietnam’s extended continental shelf in respect of Central Area of the East Sea (South China Sea) to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) on the morning of July 17 (local time) at the UN headquarters in New York in the United States.

The submission of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles is to exercise the rights and obligations of States Parties to the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), as provided in Article 76.

Accordingly, when a coastal state has a continental shelf extending beyond 200 nautical miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured, the coastal state shall submit relevant information and data to the CLCS for consideration and recommendations regarding the limits of the extended continental shelf.

The Submission of the nation’s continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles in respect of Central Area in the East Sea is the third submission made by the country. In May, 2009, Vietnam submitted a separate Submission in respect of the North Area of the East Sea and a Joint Submission with Malaysia in respect of the southern part of the East Sea.

VOV