Vietnamese Ambassador to Malaysia Pham Cao Phong led a delegation to the second ASEAN-EU high-level dialogue on maritime security cooperation, which was conducted in Kuala Lumpur from May 4 to 6. The dialogue, centered on “Developing Inter-Agency and Regional Cooperation,” was attended by more than 100 delegates who are scholars, diplomats, experts, and officials from the EU and ASEAN, according to the Vietnam News Agency. Addressing the event, Chairman of the Maritime Institute of Malaysia Ahmad Ramli Nor stressed the need to promote mutual understanding and trust between the two blocs and strengthen bilateral efforts to remove cross-border security threats. The dialogue was aimed at stepping up inter-agency cooperation in fighting piracy and armed robbery at sea, monitoring and coping with threats including trans-national organized crime, ensuring seaport security, and securing the EU’s assistance in improving ASEAN capacity in this regard, the host said. As an important part of the event’s agenda, participants discussed developing regional cooperation mechanisms and international legal frameworks to assure safe passage for seaports and containers. The Vietnamese delegation delivered speeches about maritime and seaport security as well as the East Vietnam Sea issues. A number of delegates put forward ways to resolve territorial disputes in the East Vietnam Sea. The first ASEAN-EU dialogue of this kind took place in Jakarta, Indonesia in November 2013.

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