Visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Dendias in the countries of Southeast Asia, and yesterday in Vietnam and today in Cambodia for the ASEAN ministerial meeting, reflects the desire of Athens to internationalize in as many countries as possible the problems that Greece faced due to revisionism and idiosyncratic perception of international law Turkey. Yesterday, during his visit to Vietnam, Mr. Dendias again discovered the common understanding that exists between the two countries, especially in the field of international maritime law. Vietnam, like Greece, is one of the most ardent supporters of strict adherence to the Convention on the International Law of the Sea, as it is in a protracted dispute with China, which, with its policy, essentially disputes the maritime zones of the Philippines and Vietnam (nine-dotted line). It is worth noting that the decision of the Court of Arbitration on this issue in 2016 after the appeal of the Philippines is very interesting for Greece, which China does not recognize.

Mr. Dendias was received by Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Prime Minister Pham Minh Trinh while he held talks with his counterpart Bui Thanh Son. Diplomatic sources remind that Dendia’s visit to Vietnam was preceded by the visit of the vice-president of the country to Athens in November and the visit of the President of the Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, to Hanoi in May last year. The same sources said the talks initially focused on the need to strengthen bilateral ties, in particular by expanding trade in areas such as shipping and renewable energy. In addition, clear reference was made to the two countries’ shared commitment to international law and the law of the sea, UNCLOS described as a compass to resolve all disputes. And they noted that Vietnam is one of the founders of the UNCLOS Group of Friendly States.