PM’s speech at UNSC debate on maritime security draws Czech scholars’ attention

As maritime security is a global issue drawing more and more attention from the international community, and PM Chinh’s speech clearly demonstrated Vietnam’s role and position in the international arena, contributing to protecting and strengthening maritime security for peace, stability and development in the region and in the world, according to them.

Dr. Takashi Hosoda, an expert on Vietnam and the Asia-Pacific from the Czech Republic’s Charles University, said that the speech is considered an important milestone for the relations between Vietnam and India because the Prime Minister of India - the rotating Chairman of the UN Security Council - was the one who takes the initiative to organise, and also presides over the UNSC meeting.

Vietnam and India play increasingly important roles in ensuring the maintenance of maritime security in the East Sea and the Indo-Pacific as well as resolving issues related to peace and security in the region. The two countries also share many strategic similarities, so it is very important for Vietnam to intensify cooperation with India, Hosoda stated.

He spoke highly of the proposals made by the Vietnamese Government leader to contribute to solving maritime security challenges, especially the need for the international community to raise awareness of the importance of maritime security as well as threats to marine security.

To that end, the expert suggested Vietnam make specific contributions within the bilateral and multilateral cooperation frameworks, including the cooperation mechanisms between the European Union (EU) and Asian countries such as the EU Critical Maritime Route Wider Indian Ocean (CRIMARIO).

In that spirit, Vietnam needs to focus on improving its capacity of maritime and air patrols and the research of maritime vessels, take the lead in raising awareness of maritime security in ASEAN through bilateral and multilateral cooperation mechanisms, and strengthen its role in connecting countries interested in maritime security, he added.

Dr. Jan Hornat, an Indo-Pacific expert from Charles University, held that the Vietnamese PM’s speech shows the country’s active and proactive engagement in ensuring maritime security – the current hot issue of the international community. This helps enhance Vietnam’s position in the world arena, especially in maintaining order in international waters based on the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982.

Meanwhile, Alex Svamberg, a journalist specialised on Asia-Pacific security, commented that PM Chinh’s speech reflects Vietnam’s wish to ensuring a regional environment of stability and ending unilateral actions violating international law in the East Sea.

According to Svamberg, the EU is showing its increasing interest in ensuring maritime freedom in the East Sea – one of the important international maritime routes.

The Czech journalist held that proposals given by the Vietnamese PM showed Vietnam’s policy of settling the East Sea issues through peaceful measures on the basis of international law, especially the UNCLOS 1982, and ensuring maritime and aviation freedom in the East Sea through multilateral solutions for peace, stability and development in the region and the world. This is an approach receiving support from the international community, Svamberg said./.