REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, RHODE ISLAND -- Chief of Staff of Indonesian Navy, Admiral Ade Supandi explained Western Pacific Naval Symposium (WPNS) is a long standing cooperative forum for almost 30 years and has become a model for other regional naval cooperation.
He described one of accomplishment is WPNS members have agreed to support the Code for Unalerted Encounter at Sea (CUES).
''It is a concrete form of naval partnership in application by providing common procedure and communication signal for deconfliction and coordination among WPNS units,'' he addressed his speech in the 22nd International Sea Power Symposium (ISS) 2016 Rhode Island, United States of America, on Wednesday (9/21).
Ade emphasized this document should be routinely evaluated and improved by adopting lessons learnt during its use in operations. He added the Royal Navy and the Colombian Navy were granted observer status.
This decision reflected the realization of contemporary maritime security landscape now more connected than ever before. And extra-regional navies with presence and knowledge of the western pacific regions are welcomed as valuable partners to the WPNS.
Ade said that providing the junior officer interaction program is vital as effort to boost partnership by exposing young generation to experience of working cooperate with partners from different navies. This will instill awareness and need to work together.
''Therefore, it is important to enhance cooperation with non-naval agencies/private and non–government organization,'' he said on a statement made available to Republika.co.id.
It also need an extension of geographical areas to extra regional partners and avoid the stagnation of WPNS by improving innovation. So, the cooperation in line with global strategic change.
Beside being speaker, Chief of Staff of Indonesian Navy with all other countries chief of Navy and international delegates in ISS are also discussed future of international cooperation on maritime security issues.
The participants, delegates, and guests have opportunities to seek cooperation regionally as well as internationally in order to find a better resolution on maritime security issue.
It is parallel with the purpose of ISS which is an international forum for naval senior officers sharing the ideas regarding contemporary maritime issues and sought opportunity to enhance cooperation on international maritime issues.