| An international conference on the East Sea took place this week in Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia with 120 scholars, experts and diplomats from 25 countries participating. The conference, titled “The East Sea: Recent developments and implications towards peaceful dispute resolution”, touched upon maritime security and the role of maritime diplomacy. In his opening speech, Malaysian Deputy Foreign Minister Richard Riot Anak Jaem stressed the importance of the East Sea to Southeast Asia in terms of history, culture, society, economy, and ecology. He said disputes over the East Sea must be resolved by peaceful means and diplomacy, with the aim of enhancing understanding and cooperation between countries and establishing a peaceful and harmonious region. Delegates from Malaysia, the Philippine, the US, the UK, China, Australia and Singapore discussed ways to settle disputes in the East Sea. Director of the Centre for East Sea Studies of the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, Tran Truong Thuy, presented viewpoints on recent developments in the East Sea. He emphasized the need to have a Code of Conduct with concrete contents and articles to enhance trust and cooperation in the region. |