REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, PADANG -- "Let us go to the sea. There is prosperity kept in there. A lot of waves and life," President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) remarked when opening an international event here on Tuesday.
The president called for hard work to revive the archipelago maritime culture, preserve marine resources, build maritime infrastructure, and strengthen maritime diplomacy and maritime defense.
"We have so far turned our back on the seas, the oceans and the sea bays where our future lies," Jokowi said addressing the International Fleet Review (IFR) 2016 at a Navy main base in this West Sumatra coastal city.
Jokowi said he hoped the Komodo 2016 Multilateral Training involving 32 countries would create common understanding about protection of marine resources , regional cooperation and promotion of human resources in the maritime sector.
At the ceremony, the president was accompanied by Military Chief Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo, Navy Chief of Staff Ade Supandi, West Sumatra Governor Irwan Prayitno and a number of cabinet ministers including Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Rizal Ramli, Marine and Fisheries Minister Susi Pujiastuti, Minister at the State Secretariat Pratikno and Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung.
After the opening ceremony the president made fleet inspection on board of the war ship KRI FransaAp0 Kaisiepo-368.
The five-day activities starting on Tuesday and centered in Padang and the Mentawai islands, include International Fleet Review (IFR) 2016, 15th Western Pacific Naval Symposium (WPNS), and 2nd Multilateral Naval Exercise Komodo 2016.
No less than 20 warships of various classes from 15 foreign countries would take part dropping anchors at Padang's Teluk Bayur port waters.
The 15 countries include Bangladesh, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, the United States, Japan, France, Russia, China, Sri Lanka, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Singapore and Brunei.
The Indonesian navy would take part with 28 warships.
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