On May 23, the Party Central Committee’s Commission on Popularisation and Education in collaboration with the southernmost province of Ca Mau held a seminar on communication of sea and island issues. At the seminar, representatives from the local departments, sectors and media agencies discussed the achievements as well as difficulties and challenges in their coordination in popularising the protection of national sea and island rights and sovereignty.

The Ministry of Information and Communications has recently issued a set of four postage stamps on the theme ‘Vietnamese lighthouses’. There have to date been two sets with eight Vietnamese postage stamps introducing eight typical lighthouses.

On May 21, Le Duc Vinh, member of the Standing Board of the Party Committee and Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of central Khanh Hoa province, had a working session with a delegation from the General Department of Fisheries led by its Deputy Director Nguyen Ngoc Oai. They discussed the construction site of the headquarters of the Zone 2 Fisheries Resources Surveillance Department in the province.

This year’s Sea and Island Week is organised at national level with a series of important events, featuring the 5th Sea Trademark Conference themed “Sea reserves with sustainable development of sea and island environment and resources” on June 7; the 4th Sea-born Economic Conference and a meeting to mark World Oceans Day on June 8; and the Vietnam Sea and Island Week 2013 themed “Together we take actions for the national sea” on June 7.

Vice Chairman of Ha Tinh provincial People’s Committee Le Dinh Son on May 15 chaired a working session with relevant sectors to discuss a plan to organise the Sea and Island Week 2013. Deputy Head of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment’s Vietnam Administration of Sea and Islands Nguyen Dang Dao attended the event.

After their talks, the border guards from the Cha Lo International Border Gate border post under the Quang Binh provincial Border Guard Command and the Border Company 312 of the Khammouane Military Command carried out a bilateral patrol mission in the area of border marker No. 528 in conformity with the Vietnam-Laos Common Border Regulations

According to the Thai official, the ASEAN-China working group on the Declaration of the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) is scheduled to meet on May 29 in Bangkok, the capital city of Thailand, which serves as the coordinator for ASEAN-China relations. Foreign ministers of ASEAN member states are expected to meet their Chinese counterpart in Beijing in September to discuss sea disputes, including how to move forward a Code Of Conduct in the East Sea (COC)

The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Khanh Hoa province said on May 15 that the Nha Trang - Viet Nam International Sea and Island Tourism Fair 2013, with the title of “Sea and Island - Tourism Development”, is scheduled to take place in the coastal city of Nha Trang from June 8-10.