Jakarta (ANTARA) - Presidential candidate number 3 Ganjar Pranowo proposed three solutions to resolve disputes plaguing the South China Sea, namely endorsing temporary agreements, solidifying Indonesia's position, and optimizing the role of security apparatus.

"We have clear suggestions, including promoting temporary agreements with the aim of avoiding unwanted events," he responded to a question from panelists at the third debate of the 2024 presidential election in Jakarta on Sunday evening.

He noted that various steps had been taken to resolve conflicts in the South China Sea, such as the formulation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea that paved the way for the arrangement of a code of conduct document.

However, he deemed such a measure as not instrumental for building mutual trust among conflicting countries.

He then expressed the belief that by pushing for temporary agreements, Indonesia would be able to play an even stronger role in resolving conflicts in the sea.

"The next suggestion is related to the need to strengthen our patrolling capacity in the South China Sea. To that end, we need to provide accessible logistics to the Indonesian Navy through tankers," he remarked.

The General Commission Election has determined Anies Baswedan-Muhaimin Iskandar as presidential and vice presidential pair number 1, Prabowo Subianto-Gibran Rakabuming Raka as pair number 2, and Ganjar Pranowo-Mahfud MD as pair number 3.

Sunday's debate continues previous debates in Jakarta on December 12 and 22 last year. Two subsequent debates will then follow in January and February.

The themes for the third debate involve defense, security, international relations, globalization, geopolitics, and foreign policy.

Related news: Ganjar emphasizes police reform to tackle security issues in debate
Related news: Need to redefine foreign policy for national aspirations: Ganjar
Related news: Third debate: Prabowo pledges to continue "good neighbor" diplomacy

Translator: Moch M, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Atman Ahdiat
Copyright © ANTARA 2024