Maritime security and piracy issues were discussed at the ASEAN Defense meeting held in Jakarta on May 19, 2011.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - ASEAN is optimistic that it will be able to tackle the piracy problem in the region by intensifying security and defense cooperation among its member countries, especially in the maritime field.

Maritime cooperation among ASEAN member countries would also significantly enhance their capability to deal with piracy targeting its members` ships in Arabian waters, Malaysian Defense Minister Dato Seri Ahmad Zahid bin Hamidi said here Thursday following the Fifth ASEAN Defense Meeting.

"I am very confident a combination of ASEAN working groups can improve marine security in the region," Dato Seri Ahmad Zahid said.

Maritime security and piracy issues were discussed at the ASEAN Defense meeting held in Jakarta on May 19, 2011.

The problem of Somali pirates has become a main concern for Malaysia because a Malaysian ship was pirated in Aden waters not long ago, he said.

The Malaysian government had sent a military force to free the Malaysian hostages, he added.

ASEAN has been successful in eradicating piracy in the Malacca Strait, the minister said.

Thanks to the ASEAN cooperation, the Malacca Strait was now almost free of piracy, he stated.

"We want to eradicate piracy for the sake of regional security," Indonesian Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro said.

The maritime cooperation in ASEAN has been successful in securing the Malacca Strait, according to him.

"Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand have so far been deploying patrols in the Malacca Strait," he said.

The ten member states of ASEAN have agreed to step up cooperation in regional maritime security by exchanging information and conducting joint operations. The 5th ASEAN`s Defense Ministers Meeting in Jakarta takes the theme of "Strengthening ASEAN`s Defense Cooperation in Facing Global Challenges".

The forum is participated in by defense ministers from ten member countries of ASEAN namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, The Philippine, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam and Brunei Darussalam.(F001/A/HAJM/f001)

(ANTARA)

Editor: Ella Syafputri
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