"Think tankers, academics and government officials exchange their ideas on issues such as political security, geo-economic and geostrategic dynamics in this region during the trilateral dialogue," the Regional Strategic Advisor, Southeast Asia, of the Dutch Embassy in Singapore, Ernesto H. Braam, said here on Tuesday.
The trilateral dialogue discussed support for ASEAN centrality, UNCLOS, rules observatory-standards development, cyber security, joint strategic consultation, and diplomatic training, Braam explained.
The geopolitical environment in Southeast Asia and the wider region is in flux, he said.
He said that China`s assertiveness and doubts about US commitment create uncertainty throughout the region.
Governments are rethinking and recalibrating their foreign policy. The shifting power balance in Asia has a global impact, threatening to undermine the Rules-Based Order, he said.
Any situation of flux also creates opportunities for new forms of cooperation. Unorthodox alignments of common interests between Middle Powers should be explored.
"One such format could be trilateral cooperation between Indonesia, Australia and the Netherlands," he said.
These three countries share a similar outlook on the Rules-Based Order. This combines the largest Southeast Asian country with one of the largest exporters of raw materials to China and the country that hosts a large number of international legal institutions.
Reporter: Azis Kurmala
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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