(VOVworld) – Indonesian Navy (AL) on Tuesday held an international conference on maritime security to raise awareness of this issue for national benefits. Present were AL senior officials, foreign naval representatives and national defense attachés, and scholars. Participants reviewed maritime security in Southeast Asia and other regions in the world which has been affected by both conventional and unconventional evils including natural disasters, terrorism, piracy, arms trafficking, illegal fishing operation, and territorial disputes. Assurance of national sovereignty toward regional peace and stability requires each nation to comprehensively approach maritime security mechanism with constructive attitude. Cooperation among nations is needed to maintain maritime order in line with international laws which give them the legitimate pursuit and development of seafood resources in a sustainable manner. Maintaining maritime security is crucial to diminishing terrorism, piracy, and other sea-related crimes.

Joint naval drill is important to maintain maritime security (Photo: dantri.com)

Participants stressed the significance of building confidence, sharing information, conducting joint military drills and patrols, and deploying multinational combat forces and the ASEAN Plan of Action to Combat Transnational Crime. There remain difficulties in resolving waters disputes and strategic competition of major countries. So all related parties should fully follow international laws, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.