Any activities undertaken by foreign countries regarding Vietnam’s archipelagoes without its express permission will be viewed as violations of its sovereign rights and are legally invalid, a government spokesman said.

He made this confirmation in response to Philippine legislators’ February 17 approval of a Philippine bill, which mandates that several islands in the Truong Sa archipelago and Scarborough Shoal are considered as being under the sovereign rule of the Philippines.

“While seeking a fundamental and long-term solution to the disputes over these archipelagoes, the parties concerned should observe the 1982 UN Convention of the Law of the Sea and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and refrain from undertaking any actions to complicate the situation, contributing to maintaining peace and stability in the region,” Dung said.

Source: VNA