Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc raises East Sea issue at expanded G7 summit

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said that large-scale artificial island reclamation and increased militarization threaten regional stability, in a speech at the expanded G7 summit in Japan.

"Unilateral actions that violate international law and regional agreements, such as large-scale artificial island reclamation, changing the status quo, and increasing militarization, are seriously threatening peace and stability in the region," Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said yesterday at the expanded G7 summit in the Ise Shima region, Mie Prefecture, Japan.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (third from left) at the expanded G7 summit. Photo: VGP

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' announcement, the Prime Minister said that security, safety and freedom of navigation and aviation in the East Sea are increasingly serious challenges to peace and security in the region. Relevant countries need to exercise restraint, resolve disputes by peaceful means, in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, comply with the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), strengthen confidence-building measures and preventive diplomacy, and soon move towards a Code of Conduct (COC).

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc also welcomed the G7 countries for having a "strong voice" in support of efforts to ensure security, freedom of navigation and aviation, and to resolve disputes by peaceful means, on the basis of respect for international law and regional agreements.

The Prime Minister hopes that G7 countries and the international community will continue to make responsible contributions to strengthening the peaceful and stable environment in Asia-Pacific and the world.

This visit to Japan is Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s first as head of the Vietnamese government. This is also the first time Vietnam has attended the expanded G7 summit as a guest.

The conference consisted of two sessions, focusing on discussions on high-quality infrastructure, regional security, promoting women's rights, health, enhancing cooperation in implementing the 2030 Development Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and cooperation with Africa.

Along with leaders of the G7 countries and the European Union (EU), guests included representatives of Indonesia, Laos, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Papua New Guinea and Chad. International organizations included the United Nations, the World Bank (WB), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

According to VNE