(VOVworld)- The 7^th Mekong-Japan summit opened in Tokyo on Saturday drawing the participation of leaders from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and Japan. The Vietnamese delegation is led by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung. The leaders adopted the Tokyo Strategy 2015 with overall goal to promote Mekong-Japan cooperation in the 2016-2018 period in order to ensure regional stability and achieve quality growth in the Mekong subregion. The leaders agreed to assign their Foreign and Economic Ministers to work out action plans and vision on Mekong industrial development.

In the Mekong-Japan Joint Statement, the leaders acknowledged the importance of ocean and the need to further cooperation to ensure maritime security and safety in the region. They emphasized the importance of fully implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea and the signing of the Code of Conduct in the East Sea. They reiterated their commitments to ensure freedom of aviation and navigation, and maritime safety and peacefully resolve disputes in the principle of international law including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

In his address, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung pointed out three major areas of Mekong-Japan cooperation in the near future to achieve quality growth. Dung said:“The summit adopted the Tokyo Strategy 2015 with major orientations for Mekong-Japan cooperation in the 2016-2018 period aiming at boosting quality growth in the Mekong subregion and creating cooperation opportunities between Japan and Mekong subregion countries for interests of each country and for peace and prosperity in the region. Cooperation activities will be enhanced between government agencies, enterprises, social organizations, universities and research institutes. We agree to strengthen cooperation between member countries and the Mekong Subregion Commission in sustainable management and use of Mekong river”.

The Vietnamese Prime Minister stressed sovereignty disputes in the East Sea is becoming more complicated following attempts to change the status quos of islands in the region and violations of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea. Dung said maintaining peace, stability, security and safety of navigation in the East Sea is shared aspiration, interest and responsibility of all countries inside and outside the region.