Bali – Indonesia will once again host a prestigious international cooperation event. The Archipelagic and Island States (AIS) Forum Summit will be held in Bali on 10-11 October 2023 and will be the first summit to gather island and archipelagic countries throughout the world.
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.
He emphasized that finding solutions to the problems faced by island and island countries is very important. Sora emphasized that the main aim of the AIS Forum Summit is to be a place to express aspirations and hopes that prioritize the interests of the people within 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.
Jodi Mahardi, Deputy for Coordination of Maritime Sovereignty and Energy at the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment (Kemenkomarves), stated that in the upcoming Summit, it will again emphasize the importance for AIS countries to strengthen their 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.
A similar opinion was also expressed by Septriana Tangkary, Director of Economic and Maritime Information and Communication at the Ministry of Communication and Information. Septriana stated that the AIS Forum is a platform for cooperation between countries that have island and archipelagic territories throughout the world. At the summit, various issues will be discussed, such as efforts to reduce the impact of climate change, economic potential in the maritime sector, handling the problem of plastic waste at sea, and effective 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. [*]
