The second International Defence Dialogue Jakarta 2012 (IDD 2012) opened in Jakarta , Indonesia on March 21.
This year’s forum focuses on strengthening security and stability in the Asia-Pacific region as well as globally, in the context of rapid and complicated developments in world geo-political situations.
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Timor Leste Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao and about 1,500 defence officials and researchers from 45 countries participated in the event. The Vietnamese delegation is led by Major-General Nguyen Dinh Chien, Director of the Military Strategy Institute under the Ministry of National Defence.
Speaking at the event, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon highly valued Indonesia ’s initiative and efforts to organise this forum, saying it is a good opportunity for countries to exchange views on common threats and challenges and seek ways to deal with them.
He said that instabilities in the Middle East and North Africa, especially the current situation of Syria, nuclear issues in Iran and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and situations in Africa and Latin America show that the UN needs to give more priority to protecting human rights and maintaining peace, security and stability in the world.
He called on UN Security Council members to seek a common voice for the issue of Syria and strengthen their participation in and support for the UN peacekeeping mission.
The UN leader emphasised the importance of the Nuclear Security Summit, which is scheduled to take place in the Republic of Korea on March 26.
Meanwhile, the President of the host country underlined the role and active contributions of Indonesia in particular and ASEAN in general to peacefully solving differences and disputes on territorial sovereignty among ASEAN member countries as well as between ASEAN and other countries.
The goodwill and trust-building spirit play an important role in maintaining peace, security and stability, reflected by the fact that ASEAN and China reached the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) in 2011 and are looking towards the building of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC), he said.
According to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, countries should step up global cooperative efforts to solve current traditional and non-traditional challenges such as food and energy security, terrorism, piracy, climate change, humanitarian aid, disarmament and non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.
On the sidelines of IDD 2012, which will last until March 23, the host country is organising an exhibition on military equipment, weapons and technologies.
(VNA)
