Delegates discussed regional cooperation in maritime law enforcement (Photo: GVP)

The three-day conference, which concluded Friday, was the first to carry out the Statement of ARF Ministers in Vientiane, Laos in 2016 on strengthening law enforcement at sea. Attendants were 80 officials, experts, and scholars on maritime security from 22 countries and international organizations.

Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung delivered a speech on the role of the law enforcement forces at sea and the need to enhance cooperation to manage, prevent, and respond to challenges. He said the conference intends to maintain peace, stability, security, and safety for seas and oceans and affirms commitments of involved countries in ensuring regional order governed by law.

Vietnam, Australia, and the EU agreed to maintain dialogue on law enforcement cooperation at sea, which is a priority in the Hanoi Action Plan on implementing the ARF vision in the 2018-2020 term.