Vietnam's sovereignty over Hoang Sa, Truong Sa in line with international law: Spokeswoman

Vietnam once again affirmed that its sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) is in accordance with international law and legitimate rights over its territorial waters established in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), spokeswoman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang said on June 20.

Responding to a reporter's question regarding the Philippines' submission of an Extended Continental Shelf (ECS) claim in the East Sea to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS), Hang said coastal states, as parties to the 1982 UNCLOS, have the right to determine their outer continental shelf boundaries in line with relevant provisions of the 1982 UNCLOS.

However, when submitting their ECS claims, coastal states must respect the legal and legitimate rights and interests of other relevant coastal nations with opposite or adjacent coasts, she said.

Accordingly, Vietnam asserts its full rights and interests under international law, particularly the 1982 UNCLOS, and stays ready to discuss with the Philippines to seek and achieve a solution that is mutually beneficial for both countries, the spokeswoman stressed.

TB (according to VNA)