Delegates hope for a better understanding, especially from scholars from Europe and outside Southeast Asia, about the difficulties and challenges related to the dispute in the East Sea.

Ambassador Pham Quang Vinh, former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs made an overall assessment when reviewing the situation in the South China Sea in the past year.

ASEAN and China have reaffirmed their commitments to fully and seriously implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and soon resuming negotiations on the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).