The event, held by the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Foundation of Germany, drew officials of Vietnamese ministries and sectors, domestic and international experts, along with representatives of agencies, research institutes, foreign representative agencies, and some localities in the country,
In his opening remarks, Nguyen Minh Vu, Assistant to the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, underlined the importance of the Indo-Pacific, which boasts huge potential for maritime connectivity that promises strong economic growth.
He said as a trading country, Vietnam is strongly committed to navigation safety, navigation and overflight freedom, and unimpeded maritime connectivity in line with international law. Trade revenue makes up a sizeable proportion of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), and any disruption to maritime trade will strongly impact its economy.
Vietnam views safeguarding safety, security, and freedom of navigation in line with international law as essential, he stated, noting that as a coastal country, it has built a strategy for sustainably developing the sea-based economy by 2030, with a vision to 2045, which lays stress on maritime connectivity.
The prosperity of the Vietnamese economy now depends on the safety and security of navigation corridors. The country pledges to maintain rules-based order and believes that respecting the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) provides a foundation for ensuring peace, stability, and order at sea and is also the most appropriate way for resolving sea-related disputes, according to Vu.
The official went on to say that the dialogue’s tasks include looking into all aspects of maritime connectivity, pointing out challenges and barriers, and working out innovative ideas and feasible proposals to ensure seas and oceans are always physically, procedurally, digitally, and culturally open, stable, and sustainable.
He said countries are facing big challenges to the conservation and proper utilization of maritime resources and potential, but thanks to dialogue and cooperation, they can create a path to a sustainable and prosperous maritime ecosystem for all.
The 12th Ocean Dialogue consists of four-panel discussions on the connection of key sea routes to ensure global supply chains, sustainable smart seaports as an irreversible trend in the blue economy, maritime infrastructure connectivity in the digital era, and the connection of the green corridor network at sea.
