Indonesia urges habit of cooperation to keep South China Sea peace

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesian Deputy Foreign Minister Arif Havas Oegroseno stressed the importance of maintaining a habit of cooperation to sustain communication and prevent tensions in the South China Sea.

Speaking at the opening of maritime workshops held in Jakarta on Sept. 27–30, Oegroseno echoed a founding vision first articulated by former Foreign Affairs Minister Ali Alatas during the inaugural South China Sea workshop in 1990.

According to a statement released by the Foreign Affairs Ministry on Friday, Oegroseno highlighted the 21st Working Group Meeting on the Marine and Coastal Environment in the South China Sea and the 35th Workshop on Managing Potential Conflicts in the South China Sea as essential mechanisms for confidence-building amid complex regional dynamics.

He urged participants to abide by the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) as the primary framework for peaceful dispute resolution.

Oegroseno also encouraged translating discussions into concrete projects to act as tangible confidence-building measures, noting that action-oriented initiatives help sustain constructive engagement and reduce the risk of conflict.

The four-day forum gathered 85 academics, government think-tank representatives, and delegates from China, Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Laos, Vietnam, the Philippines, Myanmar, and Taiwan.

Participants evaluated ongoing cooperative efforts, discussed maritime governance based on the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and agreed on three new joint projects—two proposed by Vietnam and one by Indonesia.

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Translator: Kuntum Khaira Riswan, Yashinta Difa
Editor: Arie Novarina
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