Indonesia is pushing for inter-regional cooperation in the maritime sector at the 11th East Asia Summit (EAS) currently being held in Vientiane, Laos.
President Joko Widodo stated in a speech at the ASEAN Leaders Retreat on September 7 that ASEAN should implement the maritime cooperation commitment as agreed during the EAS held in Kuala Lumpur last year.
“For me, maritime cooperation must seriously address sources of maritime conflicts, such as illegal fishing activities, territorial disputes, kidnapping, and armed robbery,” he explained, as quoted by Antara News.
In a recent article on the Jakarta Post, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi declared, “Maritime cooperation has been discussed since last year—Indonesia succeeded in convincing ASEAN member states about the importance of maritime cooperation in the context of the EAS.”
Indonesia also underscored the fact that a maritime regime is key to fostering the region’s economic growth.
Indonesia has made known that it aspires to become a regional maritime power and said it will seek ways to implement its maritime axis plan, as underlined by the government’s recent position to develop the Natuna Islands, located strategically close to the disputed South China Sea.
Widodo in his speech also urged ASEAN member-countries to maintain regional peace and stability.
“ASEAN must protect our home and ensure sustainable peace and stability,” he said, adding that the existing ASEAN mechanism, such as the ASEAN Plus Three, ASEAN Regional Forum, and East Asia Summit, have not been able to fully guarantee peace in the region.
Several activities in the Southeast Asian region have the potential to escalate tensions and even trigger open conflicts.
“Hence, we need a strong and comprehensive regional security architecture that could advance ASEAN centrality and more effectively contribute to security and regional stability,” Widodo emphasized.
The regional architecture should be able to help achieve the ultimate goals outlined in the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation and the Bali Principles adopted in the East Asia Summit in 2011, he said.
Vientiane is the first ASEAN summit held since The Hague arbitration ruling on July 12 that dismissed China’s claims in the South China Sea in favor of the Philippines.
Photo: Antara News/Akbar Gumay
