Admiral Joel S. Garcia, Commandant of the Philippine Coast Guard and Chairperson of ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre Governing Council welcomed participants from the diplomatic community, ReCAAP Focal Points, regional law enforcement authorities and the shipping industry to the opening of the Cluster Meeting in Manila. Source :http://www.recaap.org/
SOUTHEAST ASIA - ASIAN NEIGHBOURS MEET TO TACKLE SECURITY IN SULU-CELEBES SEAS
MARITIME AUTHORITIES from neighbouring Asian countries are meeting in Manila on Dec. 18–19 to tackle security in the Sulu and Celebes Seas, where the Abu Sayyaf terror group is the biggest threat, according to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG). The gathering is attended by representatives from the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and China. It is convened by the PCG and the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) Information Sharing Centre (ISC).
ReCAAP and ISC meeting
“Our objective is to share the latest situation in Sulu-Celebes Seas… and to share, consider, and discuss the further steps that we have to take to improve the situation,” ReCAAP ISC Executive Director Masafumi Kuroki said in a live-streamed press conference on Wednesday. “Since 2016, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia have been exerting efforts to address maritime crimes, with active assistance from Australia, Japan, and the United States to enhance capabilities. However, if we want to sustainably address these maritime safety and security issues, we need to study the dynamics of these prevailing criminal activities. I believe this meeting is a great avenue for such undertaking,” he said.
Mr. Masafumi Kuroki, Executive Director of ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre, noted that one of the key objectives of the Cluster Meeting in Manila was to chart the next course of actions to be taken to further reduce the risks faced by the shipping industry when operating in the Sulu Celebes Seas and waters off Eastern Sabah. Source :http://www.recaap.org/
