(VOVworld)-Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has urged the Vietnamese military to strictly adhere to the Party and State’s policy on settling disputes in the East Sea. Mr. Phuc told a ceremony to hoist the national flag on the Da Nang and Ba Ria-Vung Tau submarines on Tuesday that Vietnam’s determined to resolve East Sea disputes by peaceful means based on international law, the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the 2012 Law of the Sea of Vietnam, the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea toward the building of the Code of Conduct.

“Vietnam’s national defense policy is that of peace and self-defense. Modernizing the military, including the development of an advanced submarine fleet is a normal practice of any coastal country and aims to safeguard Vietnam’s national sovereignty, sea, islands and continental shelf. It’s neither an arms race nor targets any country. Every navy officer should do your utmost to defend Vietnam’s sea and island sovereignty and secure peace in the East Sea”, Mr Phuc stressed.

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc meets senior navy officers at the flag hoisting ceremony on February 28 (Photo:Quang Hieu)

Da Nang and Ba Ria-Vung Tau are the last of the 6 Kilo-class submarines Vietnam bought from Russia.

Prime Minister Phuc said the submarines will help improve Vietnam’s military capabilities and all-people defense at sea and close the gap between the Vietnamese navy and those of more developed nations.