Foreign Ministry’s Spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang made the above statement in response to reporters’ queries at a press conference in Ha Noi on June 20.

Hang affirmed Viet Nam has sufficient legal foundations and historical evidence proving its sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagoes.

Regarding 22 Filipino fishermen who were left in distress at sea recently and then rescued by Vietnamese fishermen, Hang said all vessels, including fishing boats must be responsible for obeying international regulations, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea as well as the initiatives of the International Maritime Organization.

Accordingly, all fishing boats have to provide humanitarian treatment and assistance to fishermen when they get accidents at sea.

In response to the reports saying that China’s aircraft carriers are heading to the East Sea, Hang said Viet Nam has been monitoring closely developments in the East Sea and will verify the news.

Ensuring sustainable peace, stability, security, safety, cooperation and development in the region is the shared responsibility of all countries and Viet Nam expects and asks all countries to work for this common goal.