"It is important that we work together. We collaborate together with our partners to solve shared challenges," the admiral said in an online press briefing monitored here on Tuesday.
Fagan noted that the US and several of the Indo-Pacific countries have shared goals in maintaining maritime security. Hence, the USCG works to strengthen relations with partners across the region.
She said that sharing the common goal of a free and open Indo-Pacific based on the rule of law allows countries to enforce their own sovereignty. It also provides certainty in maritime governance.
"Our oceans are global highways that facilitate commerce and provide food to millions of people," she stated.
The admiral emphasized the importance of collaboration with partners in the region to solve the challenges they had faced together.
She cited an example of illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing that threatens the health of oceans and the well-being of coastal communities that rely on fishing for their livelihood and for their food security.
Fagan pointed out that IUU fishing is often linked to other criminal activities. The networks that benefit from it are regional or even global.
"Our response to IUU fishing must also be regional or global in its reach," she said.
Fagan said that the USCG welcomes the opportunity to collaborate while adding that the USCG had assigned people in this region to provide training and other maritime services that help to ensure that this critical maritime governance work moves forward.
As reflected by its collaboration with Vietnam this week, Admiral Fagan said that strong coast guard relations were not just forged with the Vietnamese Coast Guard but also with other regional coast guards.
She emphasized that coast guard collaborations are critical to sharpening the rule of law in the region.
Hence, she said the USCG welcomes the opportunities to partner and work with allies and partners as well as help countries to build their capacity and capability to uphold their own sovereignty and the rule of law.
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Reporter: Katriana
Editor: Tia Mutiasari
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