By ANTARA,
Tokyo : Japan`s Defense Ministry has invited defense officials from ASEAN member countries to an informal meeting in Tokyo on March 16-18 to discuss regional security issues, an Indonesian diplomat here said.
“It will be the Japanese defense ministry`s very first informal meeting with defense officials from other countries since its formation in January, 2007,” Col Neno Hamroiono, defense attache at the Indonesian Embassy here, said on Monday.
The discussion between Japanese and ASEAN defense officials on regional security matters was absolutely needed to improve cooperation and mutual understanding amid the present global challenges, he said.
Hamriono said Japan had a very serious interest in security in the Malacca Strait because 60 percent of its energy supplies depended on the strait`s safety for shipping.
He said the meeting would take up various regional security issues, including piracy, terrorism, and cooperation in natural disaster management.
Indonesia`s representative to the meeting would be Defense Ministry Secretary General Lt Gen Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, he said.
Japan, according to Hamriono, wanted to have stronger relations in defense affairs at ministerial level with ASEAN countries by holding annual meetings with the latter`s defense officials.
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