PANO – The Ministry of National Defense on October 25 held a ceremony to establish the Vietnam Hydrographic Committee, in the presence of Lieutenant General Phan Van Giang, Deputy Defense Minister and Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army.
The committee has been established one year after Vietnam became the 84th member of the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), marking a milestone in the national strategy for defense, maritime economic development, and international integration. The distribution of sea charts and electronic sea charts under the IHO standards will contribute to reaffirming, managing and safeguarding Vietnam’s national sovereignty and jurisdiction rights over seas and islands.
The committee will serve as an agency responsible for hydrographic survey and sea mapping, distributing maritime, oceanographic, hydrological publications, performing hydraulic functions while assessing and providing hydraulic surveys to assist the law enforcement at sea and protection of maritime sovereignty.
Addressing the ceremony, General Giang urged the Vietnam hydrographic sector to further expand cooperation with other countries to upgrade Vietnamese sea charts up to international standards, regularly update information of the seas, oceans and navigable waters in the world in order to affirm Vietnam’s sovereignty over the seas and islands in the East Sea (South China Sea).
(Vietnambreakingnews)