Jakarta – Indonesia will once again host an important celebration of global cooperation. The Archipelagic and Island States (AIS) Forum Summit will be held in Bali, on October 11 2023. This will be the first summit to bring together a number of island countries from various continents.
Assistant Deputy for Delimitation Zones, Maritime Zones and Border Areas of the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Sora Lokita, said that Indonesia has an important and strategic role in the AIS Forum. Indonesia’s position makes it possible to encourage concrete and inclusive collaboration between countries without looking at differences in economic status or territorial size.
“Indonesia’s leadership is urgently needed to bridge collaboration between developed and developing countries in AIS. “If cooperation with AIS countries goes well, then AIS can play a bigger role in global maritime cooperation,” said Sora.
Adding that it is very important to have solutions to the problems of island and archipelagic countries, Sora emphasized the target of the AIS Forum Summit, namely as a forum for aspirations and hopes that prioritize the interests of the people of the country itself.
“One of the main targets of the AIS Summit is the leaders’ declaration which contains the hopes of state leaders, how in the future it will continue to develop into an international organization that can help the benefit of the population of island and archipelagic countries,” he added.
Meanwhile, Deputy for Maritime Sovereignty and Energy Coordination at the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment (Kemenkomarves) Jodi Mahardi said that the next summit would again emphasize the need for AIS countries to strengthen commitment and solidarity in facing common challenges.
“No one can understand the seriousness and complexity of the problems we (AIS countries) face better than the island and archipelagic countries themselves,” said Jodi.
The Director of Economic and Maritime Information and Communication, Ministry of Communication and Information, Septriana Tangkary, also said the same thing. According to him, the AIS Forum is a forum for cooperation between island and archipelagic countries throughout the world. The summit will discuss climate change mitigation and adaptation, the blue economy, handling plastic waste at sea and good maritime governance.
“The AIS Forum Summit aims to summarize the importance of solidarity as a basis for collaboration and utilize the AIS Forum as a platform. “So this is our platform for mutual cooperation, generating innovation, and building a healthy and sustainable marine economy,” he concluded. [*]
