(VOVworld) - A seminar themed “East Sea Cooperation- History and Prospects” opened in Da Nang on Wednesday. Presentations at the seminar reported on new findings on the East Sea confirming Vietnam’s sovereignty over the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratley) archipelagoes. The delegates also heard presentations on the marine troops of the Nguyen Lord defending the sovereignty and exploiting resources at sea, Hoang Sa troops’ voyage to establish and exercise Vietnam’s sovereignty over the two archipelagos. The historical evidence of Vietnam’s sovereignty over the two archipelagos in Ly Son island district, Quang Ngai province and Minh Mang King’s Sea Vision were also presented at the seminar. Doctor Tran Duc Anh Son, from the Da Nang Research Institute for Socio-Economic Development says: "At this seminar, my presentation consists of Western documents in 6 different languages, Western maps which date back from the 16^th to the 20^th century with images of Hoang Sa and Truong Sa associated with Vietnamese history. The details on the maps prove that the archipelagos belong to Vietnam. I also show Western maps outlining China’s territory from 1526 to 1980, which did not include Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos".

The delegates also discussed the strategic position, economic potential, culture, possibilities of cooperation and development between countries in the East Sea. Doctor Vo Van Sen, from the University of Social Sciences and Humanity of HCM City’s National University says: "The East Sea issue is not just the geopolitical issue of the Southeast Asia but it has become global geopolitics. I think that the cooperation prospect is huge. The mankind needs peace and sustainable development, therefore, it’s important to promote peaceful cooperation and solutions to conflicts in the East Sea".