16 nations in anti-mine action

16 nations in anti-mine action

SINGAPORE (AFP): A 16-nation anti-mine exercise involving the world's top naval powers formally opened here on Tuesday with a call for greater co-operation to keep the Western Pacific safe for global shipping.

Fifteen ships and 1,500 personnel are taking part in the 12- day inaugural Western Pacific Mine Countermeasure Exercise and First Western Pacific Diving Exercise.

Australia, China, France, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, the United States and Vietnam have sent teams and vessels to the exercise.

Singapore's Minister of State for Defense David Lim said in an opening speech that the exercise was "part of the growing web of multilateral exercises and interactions in the region."

"By promoting opportunities for interaction, (exercises) help promote greater dialogue and bilateral ties between countries in the Asia Pacific region.

"And in doing so, they strengthen the framework of multilateral co-operation that underpins a stable and secure environment conducive for social and economic development," he said.

A secure maritime environment is important to Asia's continued economic development as more than half of the world's shipping tonnage passes through the Malacca Straits, Singapore Straits and the South China Sea, Lim said.

"Clearly, the safe and secure maritime navigation of the sea lines of communication, or SLOCs, is vital to the continued economic development and prosperity of the region and the world," he said.