Indonesia Pushes East Asia Summit Strengthen Maritime Cooperation

Chennai, MINA – Indonesia encourages East Asia Summit (EAS) to strengthen maritime cooperation in the region at the 4th East Asia Summit (EAS) Conference on Maritime Security Cooperation in Chennai, India on 6-7 February 2020.

The meeting discussed 4 important issues regarding maritime security, maritime safety, the transition of regional blue economy, and the Indo-Pacific Oceans initiative, including India’s desire to enrich maritime regional architecture in the Indo-Pacific Region.

“The key to security and safety (sea) in the region, especially through dialogue and collaboration between ASEAN and dialogue partners, has resulted in strategic trust and win-win cooperation can continue to be built,” Ambassador Foster Gultom, Chairperson of the Delri, said at the meeting.

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Indonesia also underlines the importance of identifying innovative cooperation by involving maritime stakeholders in the region, so that the ASEAN community and the Indo-Pacific region become more resilient.

As Chairperson, together with India and Australia, Indonesia invites all parties to actively work together in answering regional dynamics and globalization by increasing maritime partnerships.

The conference also discussed the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) initiative introduced by PM Narendra Modi at the 14th EAS Summit, November 2019 in Bangkok.

The elements of cooperation as outlined in the IPOI are emphasized as elaboration and in line with AOIP and the Manila Plan of Action to Advance the Phnom Penh Declaration on the EAS Development Initiative (2018-2022).

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The EAS Senior Official level meeting is the 4th annual meeting, having previously been held in New Delhi (November 2015), Gowa (November 2017), and in Bhubaneswar (June 2018).

The meeting which discussed the importance of maritime security and safety in the field of sustainable marine management, plastic waste pollution, and maritime disaster risk management, was considered strategic because of the adoption of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) in Bangkok at the 34th ASEAN Summit, June 2019 then.

This meeting is a momentum for Indonesia to encourage collaboration between ASEAN and dialogue partners through collaborative research and maritime technology, sustainable maritime resource management, with ASEAN still playing its central role. (T/RE1)

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Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)