Hanoi to host Indian Ocean Conference in August

Hanoi, August 22 (VNA) – The third Indian Ocean Conference is scheduled for August 27-28 in Hanoi, heard a press briefing on August 21. Nguyen Vu Tung, Director of the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, said at the Hanoi press conference that the Indian Ocean plays an important role in sculpting the architecture of the Indo-Pacific region and has been the topic of many international forums. Themed “Building Regional Architectures,” the conference is expected to promote strategic cooperation and trade ties between countries; consolidate security frameworks and administration processes; and contribute to maintaining peace, stability, development, and connectivity in the region, he said. It also offers an opportunity for participating countries to learn more about the significance and strategic position of the Indian Ocean on the world’s map, he added. Topics to be discussed include security, economy, and trade across the Indian Ocean and neighbouring areas in the Indo-Pacific region; evolving regional architectures; cooperation between concerned countries in trust building; respect for international standards and laws; peaceful settlement of disputes; oceanic administration; and the settlement of non-traditional security challenges at sea. Talking about the selection of Vietnam as the venue of the event, Indian Ambassador to Vietnam Harish Parvathaneni highlighted the strong development of Vietnam-India ties. In particular he stressed that the two countries establishing their comprehensive strategic partnership in 2016, with two-way trade reaching nearly 13 billion USD in 2017, and exchange of visits by senior leaders of the two countries during the occasion of the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties. What is more, Vietnam is one of the countries recording the fastest growth rate in Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific region, with a more solidified international position, he said, noting that Vietnam is a pillar in India’s Act East policy. The conference is hoped to help promote the image of Vietnam actively integrating into the world, as well as responsibly building regional architectures and stepping up international maritime collaboration./.