An oil rig of Vietnam in the East Sea (Photo: PetroVietnam)

According to the article, when the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) was open for signature on December 10, 1982, Vietnam was among the first 117 countries to sign the Convention. 

Furthermore, Vietnam has called upon other states in Southeast Asia to respect and comply with UNCLOS. In particular, during its chairmanship of ASEAN in 2020, Vietnam repeatedly stressed the relevance of UNCLOS in maintaining regional peace and resolving maritime disputes.

Most recently, together with Germany, Vietnam initiated the establishment of the UNCLOS Group of Friends to accelerate cooperation between like-minded countries on common maritime goals.