This day exactly 35 years ago (March 14, 1988), 64 soldiers of the Vietnam People's Navy laid down their lives defending national sovereignty in Truong Sa.

Russian scholars highlighted the strategic value of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in settling the East Sea issue while attending a scientific workshop held at the Institute of Oriental Studies (IOS) under the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) on January 19.

Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN, has affirmed that international law is the foundation of modern international order and world peace in his remarks at the first open debate of the UN Security Council this year.

As a coastal country and a member of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982, Vietnam believes that all activities of international cooperation, including maritime cooperation, need to be in line with international law, especially the UNCLOS, stated Foreign Ministry's Deputy Spokesperson Pham Thu Hang.

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), also known as the Montego Bay Convention that made its way in the world on December 10, 1982, was a great step towards maintaining the freedom of navigation and has served as a basis for the development of marine activities and ocean conservation, said former Vice Admiral of the French Navy Patrick Hebrard.

A delegation of the Vietnam Lawyers Association (VLA) led by its Vice President and General Secretary Tran Cong Phan attended an international seminar on the East Sea held in Moscow, Russia, on November 22.

Since becoming a signatory to UNCLOS 1982, Vietnam has remained a responsible member and has made significant efforts to endorse and implement its provisions, according to an article posted on Fulcrum.sg, a website of Singapore.

Vietnam has arranged a booth designated to popularise the protection of its sovereignty over Truong Sa (Spratly) and Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelagos at a Vietnamese food and consumer goods fair in Osaka, Japan.

Vietnam resolutely opposes and demands Taiwan to cancel live-fire drills in the waters around Ba Binh island belonging to Vietnam’s Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago and not to repeat similar violations in the future, Spokeswoman of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang said on July 2.

Maritime and aviation security and safety in the East Sea (internationally known as South China Sea) is extremely important for countries in the region and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Truong Sa island, offshore of Khanh Hoa province is home to ocean locks that have been providing supplies and shelter for fishermen for decades, but they also represent Vietnam’s sovereignty over the islands and territorial waters.

Vietnam has full legal grounds and historical evidence to prove its sovereignty over the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagoes in accordance with international law as stated in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982, stated Foreign Ministry Deputy Spokesperson Pham Thu Hang.