Vietnamese State President Truong Tan Sang and his Indonesian counterpart have affirmed the importance of ensuring peace, stability, maritime safety and security, and freedom of navigation in the East Vietnam Sea.

>> Vietnamese president stresses ‘respect for sovereignty’ at Asian-African Conference in Indonesia The affirmation was made during a bilateral talk between President Sang and Indonesian President Joko Widodo in Jakarta on Thursday, on the occasion of the Vietnamese leader’s visit to Indonesia for the three-day 2015 Asian-African Conference (ACC), which closed the same day. The two leaders also shared the same view that all disputes in the East Vietnam Sea should be settled with peaceful measures based on international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and the strict and full implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Vietnam Sea (DOC). All parties concerned in the East Vietnam Sea must not use or threaten to use force and must not change the status quo or take action to escalate tension, while accelerating the finalization of a Code of Conduct for the sea (COC), the two leaders said. President Sang told his host that he highly valued the active role of Indonesia in promoting cooperation between Asia and Africa in various fields, especially politics, economy, and social issues. The Vietnamese leader also asked the Indonesian side to treat Vietnamese fishermen detained by Indonesian forces on the basis of the humanitarian spirit, the friendly relationship, and the strategic partnership between the two countries. Meanwhile, President Widodo hailed the Vietnamese delegation’s attendance in the ACC and highly appreciated their contribution to the success of the conference. The host and guest expressed their delight at the growth of two-way trade, which amounted to US$5.4 billion in 2014, and agreed to take measures to lift the figure to $10 million by 2018. President Sang invited his Indonesian counterpart to visit Vietnam. The host accepted the invitation with pleasure and said he will arrange a visit soon. Before the talk and other meetings with leaders of other countries on the sidelines of the AAC, President Sang joined many functions, including the first plenary session, where he delivered a speech in which he called on every country to show “respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations.”

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