US Ready To Cooperate With Indonesia In Maritime Sector

Jakarta, Jan 23 (Antara) - The US Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs David B. Shear expressed his country's readiness to cooperate with Indonesia in the maritime sector, the main priority in President Joko Widodo's policy. "We are ready to work with the president to pursue our (US, Indonesia) common goals in the area (maritime)," Shear stated here during a press conference on Friday morning. According to the assistant secretary, the United States government has lauded President Joko Widodo's program to develop Indonesia as a maritime country. "We took a strong note of his interest to make Indonesia a maritime power," Shear noted, adding that Indonesia and the United States have strong maritime interests in the region. One of the main reasons for the two countries to cooperate in the maritime sector is to eliminate piracy in the Malacca Strait as it is an international trade route. "Of course, we have to fight piracy by cooperating and working in close coordination," Shear emphasized. The assistant secretary said the three related countries: Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia should closely cooperate and work together to fight piracy. "We encourage the countries lining the Malacca Strait to work together closely in addressing the challenge. We are always ready to provide our expertise and share our experiences with Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia to help them fight piracy," Shear remarked. Shear commenced his four-day visit to Jakarta on January 20. He met Moeldoko on Thursday (January 22) and Indonesian Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu on Friday afternoon. He has been officiating as assistant secretary since July 2014 after serving 32 years in the Foreign Service, most recently as the US ambassador to Vietnam.