Although some border settlement agreements had been reached at the recent 19th ASEAN Summit, there were still other problems that had not yet been completely settled, Soeparno said in a prepared speech read out at by Navy Deputy Chief of Staff Vice Admiral Marsetio at a technical naval operations working meeting here Thursday.
He said Indonesia`s strategic enviroment was subject to very fast, complex and unpredictable developments at regional as well as national levels and this would only make its sea border problems with other countries more complicated.
"Although some agreements at regional level were reached at the recent ASEAN summit, many sea border problems with neighboring countries still need to be resolved and continue to have the potential of causing conflicts," he said.
Indonesia still had sea border problems with ten countries namely Timor Leste, Palau, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea and Australia, he said.
Soeparno said besides sea border problems Indonesia also needed to pay attention to maritime security.
"Illegal activities in the sea must be dealt with to uphold the Navy`s (TNI AL) existence as the enforcer of national territorial sovereignty and martime security guard," he said.
Therefore, he said, all elements of the navy had to remain alert and increase their professionalism as part of the state`s defense apparatus.
He said the TNI AL would continue conducting operations in border regions in the framework of safeguarding the country`s sovereignty and enforcing its maritime laws.
"The quality and quantity of operations must be increased as part of the implementation of TNI AL`s responsibility in safeguarding national sovereignty and ensuring security for all Indonesian people as well as users of Indonesian waters against any violence, navigational danger and law violations," he said.
The meeting is a forum of discussion for the evaluation of operations that have been carried out to see their problems and solutions.
"Operations plan must be made with regard to development in the strategic enviroment and supported by readiness of all elements involved, logistics and professionalism," he said.
The activity , participated in by operations elements from all units, main commands, naval bases, was themed "With 2011 Operations National Working Meeting We Support Operations Program Optimally to Become a Reliable and Respectable TNI AL."
(SYS/H-YH/F001)
Editor: Suryanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
