This was expressed in the Jakarta Joint Declaration adopted by the 17th Military Commanders’ Meeting, which in turn recognizes the impacts that traditional and non-traditional security threats and challenges can have.
The document highlights that ASEAN’s security and prosperity could also be affected by geopolitical and geostrategic changes in the region and the impact of major power competition. The text highlights the importance of adhering to the basic principles and objectives stipulated in the Charter of the United Nations and ASEAN, as well as in the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation in Southeast Asia.
It also refers to freedom of navigation and flight in the East Sea and the need to take measures to resolve disputes on the basis of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and others.
Attendees at the ministerial meeting also gave the green light to a draft to amend the standard operating procedures for the “ASEAN – Our Eyes” initiative and reviewed a concept paper on the Emerging Defense Leaders Program between the United States and ASEAN.
At the opening of the forum the previous day, Indonesian Defense Minister and Chairman of the meeting, Prabowo Subianto, stressed that peace and security constitute the basis for economic development and ensuring social progress in the bloc.
If the region is not stable and secure, it will not be able to attract investment, promote trade and ensure civilized social behavior, which is why the theme of “Peace, Prosperity and Security” of this meeting is very relevant to the current context of complex changes in the world. situation, consider.
On the sidelines of the meeting, the Defense Ministers of the Regional Association held informal meetings with their counterparts from the United States, Lloyd Austin, and Minoru Kihara from Japan. On this occasion, Austin expressed his desire to strengthen defense cooperation with ASEAN more effectively and fundamentally, and noted that maritime security plays an important role in regional stability.
At the same time, Kihara affirmed his country’s support for the central role of the regional bloc and expressed its interest in taking relations in this area to new heights in areas such as maritime security, cyberspace systems and capacity development programmes.
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