Indonesia's leadership in various global maritime initiatives is our effort to realize the Djuanda Declaration and strengthen our contribution...Jakarta (ANTARA) - The establishment of the Archipelagic and Island States (AIS) Forum, which was initiated by Indonesia in 2018, was part of an effort to realize the country’s vision to become a global maritime axis.
Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan made the remarks virtually at the 2022 Archipelago Day commemoration in Wakatobi district, Southeast Sulawesi province, on Tuesday.
Indonesia strived to realize the great ideals of the Djuanda Declaration by uniting all archipelagic and island countries in the world through the AIS Forum, he said.
"Indonesia's leadership in various global maritime initiatives is our effort to realize the Djuanda Declaration and strengthen our contribution as a strong and solid archipelagic nation," he added.
He informed that 65 years ago, Indonesia had claimed itself as a whole and inseparable archipelagic country through the Djuanda Declaration.
Indonesia’s struggle to introduce the concept of archipelagic states and disseminate information on the Djuanda Declaration was rewarded when the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) was officially ratified by UN countries in 1982.
The AIS Forum, which was initiated in 2018, has held four ministerial-level meetings so far to encourage commitment and discussion between archipelagic and island countries to establish concrete cooperation and collaboration on improving their economy and protecting the marine environment.
The cooperation and collaboration are a part of joint efforts of the 46 members of the forum to become stronger and more resilient in facing future regional and global challenges.
"Next year (in 2023), through the head of state-level meeting, we hope that the joint commitment of island and archipelagic nations around the world (which are the members of the AIS Forum) will encourage Indonesia to realize its vision as the world's maritime axis," Pandjaitan said.
Indonesia will host the high-level meeting of the AIS Forum in 2023.
The Djuanda Declaration was initiated on December 13, 1957, by Djuanda Kartawidjaya, who was the Indonesian prime minister at the time.
Archipelago Day is commemorated every December 13 based on the issuance of Presidential Decree Number 126 of 2001.
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Translator: Ade Junida, Uyu Liman
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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