Singapore's Defence Minister, Teo Chee Hean, says the ASEAN
Regional Forum has helped move discussions on regional security
beyond simple exchange of views to finding cooperative
solutions.
He also suggested its member countries work towards an ARF maritime
security exercise.
Minister Teo was speaking at the opening of ARF's meeting on
Maritime Security on Wednesday morning.
With the Malacca and Singapore Straits carrying as much as a
quarter of the world's commerce and half of the world's oil,
maritime security is a transnational issue.
Mr Teo said: "There is now clear agreement that maritime threats
are very real and that international cooperation is needed to deal
with them. More specifically, a regional consensus has been
developing around three principles."
He said the first of these principles is that littoral states
Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia would play the primary role in
providing security in the regional waters.
Last year, the three countries launched coordinated patrols of the
Malacca Strait.
The second is the support of other stakeholders, like the
International Maritime Organisation and the shipping
community.
Others include the Five Power Defence Arrangements, which has
expanded its focus to deal with non-conventional maritime
threats.
The third principle is the need for consultation and work within
international law to develop new structures for multilateral
cooperation.
And so, the forum is planning for an ARF maritime security exercise
in the near future.
A Ministerial Declaration can be expected in the next round of ARF
meeting to be held in Jakarta, Indonesia, later this year. -
CNA