The Nha Trang Sea Festival 2011, which opened in the coastal city of Nha Trang on the evening of June 11, will include over 60 cultural, arts and sports events as well as many big conferences on developing VietnamÃÔ marine-based economy.
Many of these activities aim to assert VietnamÃÔ sovereignty over the Truong Sa (Spratlys) Islands, which are a district of Khanh Hoa province.

The five-day festival is also expected to promote the central coastal province of Khanh HoaÃÔ potential for tourism and marine-based economy, and to call for more investment in the province.

At the opening ceremony of the biennial event, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan highlighted the importance of a marine-based economy and of building on the roles of sea and islands in the countryÃÔ socioeconomic development.