TIRANA, June 18 (Xinhua) -- The South China Sea disputes could be turned into opportunities through dialogue and cooperation, a former Albanian deputy minister has said.
"The South China Sea must not be missed as an opportunity to increase the linked and shared prosperity of Southeast Asian countries and this opportunity could be grasped only through open dialogue and cooperation," said Dorian Ducka, former deputy minister of Energy and Industry of Albania.
"From my experience in international relations and energy diplomacy, I strongly believe only through bilateral and open dialogue and consultations could such disputes be solved in the best way," Ducka said in a written interview with Xinhua on Friday.
"I think these obstacles (disputes) could be turned into opportunities," he said.
The Philippines' unilateral decision to take the South China Sea disputes to the international arbitration court in The Hague has drifted away from the healthy path, Ducka noted.
The Philippines must engage bilaterally with China that has sovereign rights over its territorial waters, said Ducka.
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PacificSentinel Note: China STILL hasent proven that the South China Sea is THEIR "territorial waters" and as such has no "sovereign rights".