(VOVworld) - A workshop on East Sea issues recently held in Geneva, Switzerland, issued a statement welcoming the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in the Hague in the Philippines, lawsuit against China’s East Sea claims.

Speakers at the workshop. (Photo: VNA)

The statement said the final and binding ruling of the PCA in July this year in accordance with Appendix VII of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) created an opportunity to resolve the dispute and boost cooperation conducive to environmental protection and sustainable development in the East Sea.

Many workshop participants, legal experts from the US, the UK, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, and Australia, said China’s sovereignty claims in the East Sea are completely groundless, but stressed that it is essential to maintain peace and stability in the East Sea.

They also reaffirmed the principle of resolving international disputes through peaceful measures on the basis of international law, including UNCLOS and its application to East Sea disputes.