(VOVworld)-Promoting sustainable international cooperation will be a key task of the Vietnam Sea and Island General Department in the future, says Vice Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Chu Ngoc Hien. Speaking at a conference in Hanoi on Friday, Vice Minister Hien emphasized that the General Department should increase cooperation with international organizations to ensure sustainable management of Vietnamese sea and islands while fine-tuning policies on sustainable exploitation and use of natural resources. He said that any policies and regulations should correspond with Vietnam’s commitments to the region and the world regarding the protection of sea and coastal areas.   

In another development, more than 30 international and domestic experts and scholars have gathered in Ho Chi Minh City to discuss maritime safety and the marine environment to work out ways to promote maritime security in the Southeast Asian region. The seminar, jointly held by the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam and the Pacific Forum of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, is aimed at promoting cooperation in ensuring maritime safety in the region. Participants in the March 29-30 seminar discuss a legal framework for the security and safety of the marine environment, search and rescue, marine port management, standards for marine transportation, sea resources, fisheries, the protection of the marine environment, and maritime safety, to design the best cooperation model for application in the Southeast Asian region.