17 Countries for Maritime Security Training in Indonesia
Representatives from 17 countries would take part in the sixth Maritime Security Desktop Exercise that is scheduled to be held in Yogyakarta, Indonesia from March 30 to April 1.
The drill, dubbed "the 6th Maritime Security Desktop Exercise or MSDE" aims at strengthening coordination among the participating countries in combating crimes at sea at the region, said Edi Fernandi, head of Indonesian maritime security board.
The exercise is being organized by the Indonesian Coast Guard (Bakamla) in cooperation with the Australian Border Protection Service, he said.
"Many countries have put the prevention on the violation at sea as priority after experiencing many of such violations which has occurred at the global sea territory," he added.
The objective of this joint exercise is to intensify cooperation in protecting maritime resources and to strengthen coordination against maritime crimes in the region.
The 17 countries that will participate in the activity are Australia, Sri Lanka, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Maldives, Pakistan, Myanmar, Cambodia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Brunei Darussalam.
Indonesian Security Chief Minister Tedjo Edhy Purdijatno is scheduled to open the event, according to Edi. Discussion on maritime issues would also be done at the sidelines of the event, he said. Indonesia is a vast archipelago country home to 17,500 islands.