VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOINews, Jakarta - Building mutual trust is important for maintaining regional security, peace, and stability, Secretary General of the Defense Ministry Vice Marshal Donny Ermawan Taufanto stressed on Wednesday.

While chairing the 20th ASEAN Regional Forum Security Policy Conference (ASPC) here on Wednesday, he said that confidence-building measures (CBMs) can help reduce tensions, increase mutual trust, and encourage cooperation between countries.

"In ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), CBMs have succeeded in maintaining regional peace and stability through military-to-military contacts, mutual visits, information, and intelligence data sharing, as well as joint military exercises," he pointed out.

Such attempts to maintain mutual trust can prevent conflict and promote sustainable cooperation in the region, he added.

He noted that Southeast Asian countries are currently facing several security challenges, including cybersecurity, conflicts in Myanmar, terrorism, as well as threats to environmental security due to climate change, global warming, and rising sea levels.

"Cybersecurity has become a major challenge to global security. The advancement of digital technology is both a vulnerability and a threat, which can be exploited by malicious parties,” he added.

Taufanto said that the threat of cyberattacks has been rising with the increasing reliance of each country on technology.

On the sidelines of the event, he visited a number of exhibition booths set up by Indonesian defense companies, including J-Forces Group, PT Sentra Surya Ekajaya, PT Panca Prima Maju Bersama, as well as state-run defense holding company Defend ID.

The ASEAN Regional Forum is a dialogue forum for 10 ASEAN member countries -- namely Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam -- as well as 17 international partners.

The partners consist of Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia, the United States, Bangladesh, North Korea, Mongolia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Papua New Guinea, and Timor-Leste.

However, delegates from just 25 members of the ASEAN Regional Forum attended the 20th ASPC meeting, which was themed "Navigating a Bright Future for Sustainable Peace, Prosperity, and Security." Delegates from North Korea and Mongolia were unable to join the meeting.

The meeting highlighted three issues: contemporary global security challenges; regional cooperation for blue economy and climate mitigation; as well as efforts to build mutual trust between ASEAN Regional Forum members. (Antaranews)