The 15th South China Sea Conference was held in HCM City on October 25-26 this year. — VNA/VNS Photo Xuân Khu

HÀ NỘI — The annual international conference on the East Sea held by the Diplomatic Academy of Việt Nam, now entering the 15th year, (DAV) has become an indispensable forum for all those who are interested in maintaining peace, stability and development in the East Sea, according to DAV Deputy Director Dr. Nguyễn Hùng Sơn.

In an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency on the occasion of the 15th international conference on the East Sea (October 25-26) in HCM City, Sơn said both domestic and international communities acknowledged the outcomes of this annual event, which they said created an open, straightforward and friendly dialogue environment, contributing to raising common understanding and narrowing differences, as well as promoting trust, dialogue and cooperation in the region.

Sơn said after 15 years, the international conference on the East Sea had gradually transformed into a reputable semi-official dialogue platform in the region. It played a crucial role in connecting leaders, experts, scholars, and policy-makers from various parts of the world who are concerned about the East Sea situation. More and more high-ranking officials from countries and international organisations attended and delivered keynote speeches at the event, during which they reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining stability in the region.

He said the first new point of this year’s event was its theme "Luminate the Grey, Light up the Green”.

Accordingly, the “Luminate the Grey” part aims for open and transparent discussions to make maritime space more transparent and stable, promote compliance with international law and limit unwanted conflicts and confrontations at sea. Meanwhile, the "Light up the Green" part seeks to identify potential maritime cooperation in the future by promoting cooperation experience and practices in such important areas as green transformation, new technologies, research and investment in wind energy, and marine energy transition. This approach was also highly welcomed by attendees.

The second new point was that, for the first time, a session for representatives of coast guard forces from countries bordering the East Sea, had been held, toward achieving a "greener" and "more transparent" East Sea.

Thirdly, the event dedicated a separate session to young leaders aiming to raise awareness among the next generation about the importance of peace, cooperation, respect for international law, and seeking fresh perspectives on solutions to the East Sea issue.

Sơn said discussions at the event covered a wide range of aspects, including politics-diplomacy, legal battles and on-the-ground activities, the role of multilateral forums in dispute management, new factors affecting disputes in the East Sea, such as the role of modern technology and essential infrastructure at sea.

As the conference gathered leading experts and scholars on sea security as well as former and incumbent officials with experience in the issues, it would bring about accurate assessment of the situation, pinpoint the causes behind the tensions in the recent past and recommendations on how to strengthen cooperation, build trust, and prevent risks and the escalation of tension in the waters, the scholar said, adding that those recommendations would be reported to policymaking and enforcement agencies, which is expected to have impacts on the building of suitable policies at sea.

Emeritus Professor Carl Thayer at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) at the Australian Defence Force Academy told the Vietnam News Agency on the sidelines of the conference that Việt Nam had tailored the conferences increasingly to focus on issues of concern to the international community, and the conferences helped participants learn more and go deeper into various issues in the waters.

Meanwhile, Professor Robert Beckman from the National University of Singapore’s Centre for International Law described the conference as useful and interesting with a lot of important discussions held.

Delegates, especially those from Europe and outside Southeast Asia, all wanted to gain better understanding about the difficulties and challenges with respect to the East Sea dispute.

With a view to illuminating the grey zone and lighting up the blue, he said it would be useful to continue to have discussions about the grey zone, and have people analyse not only what’s happening in Southeast Asia, but also what’s happening in other parts of Asia.— VNS