Spokesperson for Vietnam's Foreign Ministry Luong Thanh Nghi

(VOVworld)- In response to reporters’ questions about Vietnam’s reactions to China’s continuous dispatching of fishing vessels to the area of the Truong Sa (Spratley) archipelago, a spokesperson for Vietnam’s Foreign Ministry Luong Thanh Nghi said: “We are very concerned and are closely following developments related to this issue. We think that all moves by concerned parties should abide by international law, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, respect the sovereignty and sovereign and jurisdiction rights of parties concerned. Vietnam affirms its sovereignty over the Truong Sa (Spratley archipelago) and all activities of parties concerned in the area without Vietnam’s permission violate the country’s sovereignty”.

Regarding the news that the World Trade Organization have had a new Director General, Ambassador Roberto Azevedo from Brazil, the spokesman said Vietnam congratulated his election as the new chief of the WTO for the next 5 year’s term. Vietnam hopes that Mr Azevedo will consolidate and raise the role played by multilateral trade system and the WTO to overcome challenges and reignite global economic growth. Vietnam will join efforts with member states to achieve these goals.

The same day, the Vietnam Bar Association and the National Assembly’s delegation from Dong Nai province organized a conference on the history of Vietnam’s sovereignty over the seas and islands. In his address, National Assembly deputy, historian Duong Trung Quoc said that Vietnam’s sovereignty over the seas and islands has been affirmed over thousands of years and the Vietnamese people are continuing the historical right to protect their sovereign territory. In the Le dynasty, King Le Thanh Tong drew a map confirming Vietnam’s sovereignty over the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratley) archipelagos. This has been continuously affirmed since the Nguyen Lord regime, and in 1938, Bao Dai King implemented his national power by confirming the national sovereignty of Hoang Sa and Truong Sa. The historian said that this showed clear historical evidence affirming Vietnam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos.