All disputes should be settled peacefully and in line with international law, the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung told foreign media in Berlin, Germany when asked about the recent tension in the East Sea.

Vietnam will firmly safeguard its legitimate interests while building strategic and lasting relations of trust with countries in accordance with the United Nations Charter and international law, he told Germany’s Deutsche Welle broadcaster and France’s Le Monde newspaper.

He made it clear that Vietnam welcomed all policies of the major international players on the Asian-Pacific region that respect international law and regional institutions, do not involve power games, do not infringe upon national independence and sovereignty, and promote equal and mutually beneficial cooperation for peace, security and development in the region.

Elaborating on Vietnam’s ties with its neighbour China, the PM said Vietnam always wants to together with China do its best to create a peaceful environment and a deeper and functional comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.

Referring to Germany and the European Union’s role in settling disputes in the East Sea, the Vietnamese leader highlighted that peace, stability and security of navigation and air travel in the East Sea is a common interest for all countries within and outside the region.

Almost half of the world’s maritime trade passes through the East Sea, making it a crucial link in global navigation . The risk of instability not only harms the countries in the region but the rest of the world, he noted.

He also took the occasion to urge Germany, the EU and the world to work together for peace, stability, maritime security and freedom in the East Sea.

On October 16, several German papers cited PM Nguyen Tan Dung’s speech on security challenges in Asia at the Korber Foundation in Berlin.

In a similar move, the German Press Agency quoted Chancellor Angela Merkel as saying that maritime freedom is a key interest of Germany, pledging to raise the East Sea issue at the Asia-Europe Meeting Summit in Milan.

VNA/VNN