By Bernama
Jakarta : Indonesia will host an annual meeting of the Chiefs of Defence (CHOD) of Asia-Pacific countries in the tourist resort island of Bali in November 2008, Antara news agency quoted the Indonesian Defence Forces (TNI) spokesman N Rear Marshal Sagom Tamboen as saying here.
The annual meeting will discuss various issues relating to military cooperation in Asia-Pacific countries, he said following a meeting between TNI Commander General Djoko Santoso and the chief of the United States Pacific Command (PACOM), Admiral Timothy J Keating, here on Thursday.
Indonesia is now making all the needed preparations to host the meeting, he said.
“Indonesia has been appointed to host the annual meeting thanks to the support and participation of Asia-Pacific countries,” Tamboen quoted the TNI chief as saying.
In connection with the matter, the TNI chief would meet the US defence forces commander in the United States to discuss the details of the preparations being made by Indonesia for the conference.
CHOD is an annual meeting of the military chiefs of countries in the Asia-Pacific region to discuss security, regional and global cooperation on the basis of mutual understanding.
The first CHOD meeting was held in Hawaii in November 2007.
Like the Hawaii meeting, the Bali event is expected to be also attended by Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Cambodia, India, Japan and other countries in the Asia Pacific region.