The 7th Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum (EAMF-7) opens in Da Nang City on December 6, 2019.(Photo: VNA)

In his opening remarks at the event, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Quoc Dung asked participating countries to comprehensively review the state of maritime cooperation in recent years and recommend ways to  enhance maritime ties in the near future. He also called for the forum’s greater role in coordinating maritime cooperation in the region. The participating nations should also review the adherence to the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and discuss ways to ensure all maritime activities on regional waters comply with it, he added.

The forum is scheduled to include an open discussion on the 25-year enforcement of the 1982 UNCLOS, and a closed session to exchange views on the regional maritime security and partnership and to consider recommendations and new initiatives on maritime issues.