Maritime Security
The 6th Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum
December 18, 2018
- On December 7, the 6th Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum (EAMF) was held in Manila, the Philippines, and Mr. Kansuke Nagaoka, Deputy Assistant Minister, Foreign Policy Bureau and Ambassador for Policy Planning, Interational Security Policy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, attended the Forum from Japan.
- At the East Asia Summit held in November 2011, Japan proposed to establish a forum where the EAS member states can discuss maritime cooperation. Followed by the consideration among the ASEAN member states, it was decided that the EAMF would be held back to back with the ASEAN Maritime Forum, where only ASEAN member states attend.
- During the 6th EAMF, active discussions were held on such topics as maritime security, maritime safety and maritime environment protection in Asian maritime domain as well as the way forward for the EAMF. Mr. Nagaoka actively joined the discussion and highlighted the importance of maintaining and strengthening rule-based order at sea, while introducing Japan’s efforts in realizing a free and open Indo-Pacific by means of capacity building assistance for maritime law enforcement agencies in the region, among others.
- Many participants expressed their commitment to strengthening regional maritime cooperation through organizing seminars and workshops in the areas of international law, maritime security and safety as well as maritime environment protection. In addition, they shared a view that the EAMF is an important framework in which the participants discuss maritime issues and maritime cooperation in the region and that the framework should be further strengthened.
- The 7th EAMF will be hosted by Vietnam next year.