Workshop on the East Sea: “Narrowing the gray sea, expanding the blue sea”

“Narrowing the grey sea” aims to make the marine space more transparent and peaceful, “Expanding the blue sea” aims to identify the potential of the sea and the future.

Hội thảo về Biển Đông: “Thu hẹp vùng biển xám, mở rộng vùng biển xanh” ảnh 1

The first working session of the Workshop. (Photo: Xuan Khu/VNA)

On the morning of October 25, the 15th International Scientific Conference on the East Sea, co-organized by the Diplomatic Academy and partner agencies, opened in Ho Chi Minh City with the theme "Narrowing the gray sea, expanding the blue sea."

The workshop was attended by more than 200 delegates attending in person and nearly 250 delegates registering to attend online.

The conference brought together nearly 50 speakers who are prestigious experts from nearly 20 countries from different continents; nearly 70 delegates from foreign representative agencies in Vietnam (including nearly 20 Ambassadors and Consuls General).

The workshop was also attended by Associate Professor, Dr. Le Hai Binh, Alternate Member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Head of the Central Propaganda Department.

Create forums that promote dialogue

Speaking at the opening of the workshop, Acting Director of the Diplomatic Academy Pham Lan Dung said that with the desire to become one of the leading research institutions in the region, the Diplomatic Academy has been increasingly demonstrating an active and proactive role in promoting open, frank and comprehensive academic discussions on diverse topics and emerging issues with regional and global impacts.

With many initiatives, the Diplomatic Academy has been contributing to connecting leaders, experts, scholars, and policy makers from many regions around the world; creating constructive forums to promote dialogue, trust, and cooperation in many fields.

[International Conference on the East Sea: Sea of Peace - Sustainable Recovery]

Sharing the reason for choosing the theme of this year's conference, Acting Director of the Diplomatic Academy Pham Lan Dung said that the Organizing Committee hopes that experts will analyze the current situation of the East Sea and the region, clarify common regulatory rules, identify policies to promote trust and cooperation, and shed light on behaviors that have negative impacts on the rules-based order and increase tensions.

“Narrowing the grey zone” aims to make the sea space more transparent and peaceful. “Expanding the blue zone” aims to identify the potential of the sea and its future, by promoting good practices in key areas such as green transition, technologies, research and investment related to wind power, ocean energy conversion, etc.

The workshop will also focus on exchanging and discussing how maritime forces and regional mechanisms can contribute constructively to the goal of a “greener,” “more peaceful” East Sea.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Do Hung Viet gave a keynote speech at the Opening Session.

Over the past 15 years, the South China Sea Conference series has created an open, frank, and friendly environment for regional and international experts to converge to enhance common understanding and narrow differences.

Deputy Minister Do Hung Viet hopes that in the next 15 years, this dialogue will continue to become an important, open, inclusive and creative regional maritime security forum; a meeting place and intersection of interests from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific and beyond.

Deputy Minister Do Hung Viet said that the global focus is continuing to shift to the Indo-Pacific region, which has become the "center" of global growth and an important locomotive for global recovery and future prosperity.

But that future cannot be guaranteed without peace and sustainable stability in general and in the regional maritime space in particular.

Currently, strategic competition is creating “great divisions” and “great rifts” according to the assessment of the United Nations Secretary-General Guterres. Conflicts are taking place in many regions of the world, in the maritime space of the Indian Ocean-Pacific, certainly not avoiding the risk of confrontation and conflict.

This situation requires us to continuously identify potential threats at sea, review existing cooperation mechanisms to address emerging challenges, and act together to prevent those threats.

Towards peace and development

Compared to 15 years ago, the situation in the East Sea has become more complicated, with many new “gray areas” emerging that need to be clarified. In addition, the East Sea is still an area that offers many potential opportunities for cooperation.

Hội thảo về Biển Đông: “Thu hẹp vùng biển xám, mở rộng vùng biển xanh” ảnh 2

Mr. Do Hung Viet, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, spoke at the opening session. (Photo: Xuan Khu/VNA)

Notably, the new Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biological Diversity in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction is a testament to the countries’ shared concern for the seas. Vietnam is proud to be one of the first signatories.

In that context, Deputy Minister Do Hung Viet highly appreciated the choice of the theme of the Workshop, and emphasized that only through cooperation can we help the East Sea change its color from “gray” to “green,” moving towards peace and sustainable development.

To do so, it is important to respect and comply with international maritime law, as reflected in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982).

Over the past time, Vietnam and ASEAN countries have always strived towards a regional order, including a stable, rule-based maritime space.

Vietnam strongly supports the realization and effective implementation of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific and the Vision for Maritime Cooperation recently adopted by ASEAN.

At the same time, Vietnam always supports new initiatives for common goals, through bilateral, multilateral and new mechanisms.

The 15th International Conference on the East Sea took place over two days, October 25-26, with eight sessions on the following topics: The East Sea: The journey of the past 15 years; Major countries and major responsibilities: Cooperation and coexistence in the context of increasing competition?; Multilateral approach to the East Sea: A new trend?; Need for a legal framework for legal struggles?; The role of the Coast Guard in enhancing cooperation in the East Sea; The decisive moment: Traditional energy or renewable energy?; Essential infrastructure: The new strategic significance of technology; The voice of the next generation.

In addition, this year's conference also featured special keynote sessions from many senior leaders such as the Rt. Hon Anne-Marie Trevelyan MP, UK Secretary of State for the Indo-Pacific region; Ms. Paola Pampaloni, Acting Executive Director for Asia and the Pacific at the EEAS...

This year, the Conference marked many new points in terms of ideas and organization. For the first time, the Conference dedicated a discussion session between representatives from the Coast Guard forces of several countries bordering the East Sea.

In addition, the Conference also upgraded a separate session of Young Leaders in the region to a plenary session on the agenda.

In previous years, the Young Leaders in the region program was designed as a side discussion session at the East Sea Conference. This year, the upgrading of the Young Leaders session to the main agenda aims to raise awareness among the next generation about the importance of peace, cooperation, the rule of law and to seek new perspectives on peaceful solutions to the East Sea dispute./.

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