Moerdijat noted that on Nusantara Day this year, developing the maritime sector, as a national mainstay, and integrating the process with the development of outermost and remote islands is a strategic step to accelerate development.
"The concept of an archipelago country conceived by then-Prime Minister Djuanda Kartawidjaja on December 13, 1957, through the Djuanda Declaration must be the cornerstone of this nation in realizing strategic measures in national development," Moerdijat noted as per the statement received here, Tuesday.
The archipelago country concept has been accepted by the international community through the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), she noted.
The deputy speaker pointed out that Queen Kalinyamat, who ruled over Jepara -- now Central Java -- in the 16th century, had used maritime power to repel the Portuguese from Jepara and support economic and political activities of the Demak Sultanate.
She said the Nusantara Day commemoration should encourage the Indonesian nation to prioritize developing the national maritime sector.
Moerdijat believes people should understand that most of Indonesia's territory comprises sea while emphasizing that they should have a maritime outlook.
"We need to bolster our capability in managing our maritime resources to (ensure it will) greatly benefit the people," Moerdijat remarked.
The nation must take concrete measures to address maritime issues, such as marine pollution, climate change, and marine life habitat damage due to the increase in resource demand and lax law enforcement and regulation in seas, she emphasized.
"Those issues must be addressed promptly by implementing integrated development patterns between developments on land and in sea sustainably," the deputy speaker remarked.
She affirmed that all parties should consistently collaborate to bolster the development of the national maritime aspect for the benefit of the people.
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Translator: Imam Budilaksono, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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