Alatas opens workshop on South China Sea<\/p>\n
BUKITTINGGI, West Sumatra (JP): The fifth workshop on managing
\npotential conflicts in the South China Sea opened here yesterday
\nwith Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas expressing hope of
\ninvolving government institutions and non-South China Sea parties
\nin various cooperation projects.<\/p>\n
\"The aim here is not to formalize this workshop, which will
\nremain informal,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The minister told newsmen if an agreement on the environment,
\nfor example, is reached later on, it would be an appropriate time
\nto involve high ranking government officials -- or ministers --
\nof participating countries.<\/p>\n
Speaking after the opening of the annual workshop, Alatas said
\nthe participation of non-South China Sea countries could also be
\nconsidered, especially in the projects which involved them.<\/p>\n
He pointed out that a navigational safety project for the
\nregion, for instance, could now consider involving Japan which
\nfrequently uses the South China Sea for its shipping routes.<\/p>\n
\"If we fail to include them, this means our projects will have
\nno regard for a party which is involved in navigational safety,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
The decades-long dispute over the Spratly Islands in the South
\nChina Sea, believed to contain huge amounts of oil deposits, and
\nwhich function as a busy thoroughfare for international shipping
\nlines, lingers still as six parties -- the Philippines, Brunei,
\nMalaysia, Vietnam, Taiwan and the People's Republic of China --
\nhave filed claims over all or part of them.<\/p>\n
Vietnam and China are also locked in a dispute over the
\nParacel Islands, some 600 km north of the Spratlys.<\/p>\n
Alatas' call yesterday follows a proposal he made at last
\nyear's workshop in Surabaya, when he suggested formalizing, or
\ninvolving government officials, in the meeting, and including
\nother non-South China Sea countries, such as Japan, Australia,
\nthe United States and the European Union in the implementation of
\njoint projects.<\/p>\n
Since 1990, Indonesia has been hosting annual informal
\nworkshops on the South China Sea.<\/p>\n
Regional stability<\/p>\n
Workshop participants, who are in this mountainous town on an
\nindividual basis, consist of experts from the six claimant
\ncountries and Laos, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia which have
\nno interest in the Spratlys, but have a stake in ensuring
\nregional stability.<\/p>\n
Also present at the meeting are resource persons from Canada
\nand one from Cambodia, who is participating for the first time.<\/p>\n
In his opening speech, Alatas acknowledged the recommendations
\nand proposals made by technical working groups as valuable input
\nfor future implementation of the projects agreed on in Surabaya.<\/p>\n
Working groups established in the third workshop in Yogyakarta
\nin 1992 consist of a team studying resource assessment and ways
\nof development, which proposed several recommendations in
\nSurabaya, and one studying marine scientific research, which has
\nmet three times and is expected to make its recommendation here.<\/p>\n
A group on the protection of the marine environment has met
\nonce in Huangzhou, China, and is also expected to present its
\nresults here.<\/p>\n
A fourth group recommended by the Surabaya workshop on the
\nsafety of navigational shipping and communications has not yet
\nconvened due to difficulties in selecting a venue, while a fifth
\ngroup on legal matters has not yet been formed.<\/p>\n
Other major issues determined in Surabaya, which have not been
\ndiscussed, are cooperation to overcome the problem of refugees,
\nsearch and rescue at sea, piracy and drug trafficking.<\/p>\n
\"I hope that at this meeting we can achieve further progress
\non these major concerns,\" Alatas said.<\/p>\n
He insisted that the issue of the claims would not be
\nneglected in this workshop.<\/p>\n
\"We admit the claims will still be there and we agree that it
\nis up to the countries in dispute whether they intend to resolve
\nthem on a bilateral basis or otherwise. But while we wait for the
\nclaims to be resolved, why don't we cooperate in beneficial, less
\ncontroversial fields,\" he said. (pwn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/alatas-opens-workshop-on-south-china-sea-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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