Hanoi: With India continuing to engage in oil exploration in South China Sea, Vietnam today appreciated its “constructive role” in the resources-rich area notwithstanding China's objections to Indian involvement.
General Secretary of Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong, who will arrive in New Delhi on a four-day trip tomorrow, also stressed the need for a long-term settlement of the vexed issue on the basis of international law,particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea which has been opposed by China.
The Vietnamese leader, who will be visiting India on the invitation of Prime Minister Manmohan, will hold talks with the top leadership on key bilateral and regional issues which may include South China Sea territorial dispute between China and its neighbours.
“I believe that peace, stability, maritime security and cooperation for mutual benefits in the East Sea represent the essential interest of countries within and outside the region. We highly appreciate India's constructive position on this issue,” he told PTI in an interview.
