Attendants at the seminar. Photo: VNA

(VOVworld)- Safeguarding independence, as well as sovereignty and territorial integrity in the East Sea, is a top priority of Vietnam, said a Vietnamese official at two seminars held recently in Paris. Hoang Anh Tuan, Head of the Institute for Foreign Policy and Strategic Studies under the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, delivered speeches at two seminars on security challenges facing Vietnam in 2015 at the French Military Academy’s Institute for Strategic Studies and the Vietnamese Embassy in France. According to Tuan, Vietnam is also coping with challenges in handling ties with large countries taking an interest in Southeast Asia, as well as challenges in economic development and prosperity.  He stressed the necessity of Vietnam and other ASEAN countries maintaining solidarity to ensure security in the region. He added that Vietnam needs to strengthen its economy to boost national defense and reinforce comprehensive integration to narrow its development gap with other countries.