15th International Conference on the East Sea: Dialogue, promoting trust

The Diplomatic Academy's East Sea Seminar Series has been creating an environment for frank and friendly dialogue to enhance common understanding and narrow differences, promoting trust, dialogue and cooperation.

Hội thảo Quốc tế về Biển Đông lần thứ 15: Đối thoại, thúc đẩy lòng tin ảnh 1

Dr. Nguyen Hung Son, Deputy Director of the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam. (Photo: VNA)

On October 25 and 26, the 15th International Scientific Conference on the East Sea, co-organized by the Diplomatic Academy and partner agencies, took place 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.

On this occasion, Dr. Nguyen Hung Son, Deputy Director of the Diplomatic Academy, gave an interview to a reporter from Vietnam News Agency about the contents related to the Workshop.

- Could you please evaluate the significance and results of the International Conference on the East Sea after 15 years of organization?

Dr. Nguyen Hung Son: In 2009, 15 years ago, for the first time, the Diplomatic Academy organized an International Scientific Conference on the East Sea, with the goal of building an informal, public and open forum for international experts and scholars to discuss the situation in the East Sea in order to seek solutions contributing to peace , stability and development in the region.

After 15 years, the International Conference on the East Sea has become an indispensable event and forum for all those interested in maintaining peace, stability and development in the East Sea. The domestic and international communities have recognized the results achieved through the annual conferences and acknowledged that the series of East Sea conferences of the Diplomatic Academy has been creating an open, frank and friendly dialogue environment, contributing to enhancing common understanding and narrowing differences, promoting trust, dialogue and cooperation in the region.

[Four main discussion sessions at the International Scientific Conference on the East Sea]

Up to now, the International Conference on the East Sea has gradually matured and upgraded to become the leading semi-official dialogue forum in the region, contributing to connecting leaders, experts, scholars, and policy makers from many regions around the world who are interested in the situation in the East Sea. More and more high-ranking politicians from countries and international organizations have participated and made important speeches at the Conference, expressing their views, showing their interest in the East Sea and affirming their stance to maintain their commitments in the region.

- Could you please share the new points at the 15th Workshop?

Dr. Nguyen Hung Son: The Diplomatic Academy always tries to seek and innovate in coming up with ideas and ways to organize the International Conference on the East Sea to attract widespread attention from international public opinion.

The first new point is the theme of this year's Workshop: "Narrowing the gray sea, expanding the blue sea." Accordingly, "narrowing the gray sea" aims at the goal of public, open discussion, making the maritime space more transparent and stable, promoting the rule of international law and limiting unwanted collisions and conflicts at sea; "expanding the blue sea" aims to identify the potential for future maritime cooperation, through promoting experiences and cooperation practices in important areas such as green transformation, new technologies, research and investment in wind power, marine energy conversion, etc. This approach is deeply interested and highly appreciated by experts and delegates attending the Workshop.

The second new point is that for the first time, the International Conference on the East Sea organized a discussion session dedicated to representatives of the Coast Guard forces of several countries bordering the East Sea, aiming to promote cooperation for a "greener" and "more transparent" East Sea.

In addition, the Conference upgraded the session dedicated to young leaders in the region to a plenary session on the general agenda. For many years, the Young Leaders Program has become an event held in parallel with the main Conference, creating a scientific playground for the generation of young researchers from different countries.

This year, the Conference dedicated a session to young leaders with the vision of creating awareness among the next generation about the importance of peace, cooperation, the rule of law and seeking new perspectives on solutions to the East Sea issue.

Hội thảo Quốc tế về Biển Đông lần thứ 15: Đối thoại, thúc đẩy lòng tin ảnh 2

Delegates attending the opening session of the Workshop. (Photo: Xuan Khu/VNA)

- In your opinion, what impact will this International Conference on the East Sea have on world public opinion?

Dr. Nguyen Hung Son: This International Conference on the East Sea is especially an opportunity to summarize 15 years of the series of International Conferences on the East Sea organized by the Diplomatic Academy. The content of the discussion at the Conference covers many aspects, from political-diplomatic aspects, legal struggles and activities on the ground, especially the "gray zone" activities of some parties involved in implementing their maritime claims, the role of multilateral forums in dispute management, new factors affecting disputes in the East Sea such as the role of modern technology, essential infrastructure at sea, etc.

The workshop gathered leading experts and scholars on maritime security, former government officials as well as current officials with many years of experience working in the East Sea, thus helping to provide realistic assessments, summarize the situation, find out the causes of tensions at sea in recent times and make recommendations to enhance cooperation, build trust, prevent risks, and avoid escalating tensions in the East Sea. These recommendations will be reported to policy-making and implementation agencies, thereby influencing appropriate policies at sea.

For the delegates, meeting directly and having interactions and exchanging real-life situations at sea will help spread to the public truthful and objective information, especially the rule of law in resolving disputes at sea peacefully, fostering positive voices for peace and building trust in the East Sea.

- What activities does the Diplomatic Academy plan to do in the coming time to contribute to maintaining peace, stability and development in the East Sea?

Dr. Nguyen Hung Son: The Diplomatic Academy will continue to promote its role in promoting informal and semi-official dialogues on strategic issues, maritime security, international law and international cooperation on seas and islands; strengthen connections and expand the network of experts, scholars and domestic, regional and international agencies.

In addition, the Diplomatic Academy hopes that this annual event will continue to become an important, open, inclusive and innovative regional maritime security forum; a meeting place and a point of intersection between interests from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific and beyond.

Thank you very much!

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