Vietnam and China exchanged views on projects of priority cooperation in marine environmental protection, marine science research, search and rescue at sea, and natural disaster prevention at the second round of negotiations on less sensitive fields at sea in Hanoi on November 6-8.

Vietnamese Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson Luong Thanh Nghi made the announcement at a press briefing in Hanoi on November 8.

The negotiations were in accordance with the common perception between the Vietnamese and Chinese high-ranking leaders and principles stipulated in the Vietnam – China agreement on basic principles guiding the settlement of maritime issues signed on October 11, 2011, said Nghi.

The two sides agreed to assign expert teams to promptly conduct research and contribute preliminary opinions on these priority projects, which are scheduled for further discussions at the next round of negotiations in early 2013