Indonesia Mulls Regional Maritime Partnership
Militaries ASEAN countries should join and get more involved in maritime and naval cooperation, to cope with threats to the sovereignty of each country, Gen. Moeldoko, Indonesian Military (TNI) chief said, reports Jakarta Post.
Moeldoko called for a stronger joint maritime partnership during the 12th ASEAN Chiefs of Defense Informal Meeting (ACDFIM) in Malaysia recently. He pointed out that these countries face new and often non-traditional security challenges.
ASEAN partners should work together to protect and defend sea lanes through the South China Sea, which serve as a backbone for the economic development and prosperity of the region, Gen. Moeldoko said.
Countries in ASEAN face various maritime crimes such as piracy, human trafficking, drug smuggling and illegal fishing. These crimes, according to Moeldoko, threaten national economic interests and people’s livelihoods, thus they must be stopped.
Two months ago, the head of the country’s armed forces came out with a statement that the Indonesian military is keen on playing the role of “big brother” within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and beyond to promote order in the Asia-Pacific.
Moeldoko also reiterated that Indonesia was looking to cooperate with China on several matters as well, for instance in exploiting potential synergies between the “global maritime fulcrum” doctrine that Jokowi has advocated and the Maritime Silk Road idea that China has advanced.