(VOVworld) – The Vietnamese ambassador to Canada To Anh Dung has met with Raynell Andreychuck, chairperson of Canada’s Senate Foreign Affairs Committee. Dung briefed her on developments concerning the Chinese an oilrig placed in Vietnamese waters, describing it as a violation of Vietnam’s territorial sovereignty and international law, particularly the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. He added that the move threatened regional peace and security and maritime navigation freedom and safety in the East Sea. He said that Vietnam had exercised restraint and persisted in peaceful measures to defend its sovereignty and demanded that China withdraw its rig from Vietnamese waters.
The ambassador presented to Ms. Raynell a letter from the Chairman of the Vietnamese National Assembly’s Foreign Relations Commission Tran Van Hang, which protested China’s violation of Vietnamese maritime sovereignty and international law. Ambassador Dung asked Ms. Raynell to speak to the Canadian Senate to register their protest and demand that China respect international law and withdraw its rig. He also asked Ms. Raynell to help him provide more information to the Canadian Senate about the situation in the East Sea.
Ms. Raynell acknowledged Vietnam’s concern and praised Vietnam’s policy and restraint. She said she hoped that all parties could settle their issues through peaceful measures. She also pledged to arrange a session for the Vietnamese ambassador to brief the Canadian Senate on the situation in the East Sea in an appropriate time.