He made the statement in response to the government’s plan to formulate Indonesia’s official stance over the disputes in anticipation of the upcoming verdict of a Philippines-China arbitration court hearing looking at the dispute. Indonesia is expected to provide testimony as a witness during the hearings.

Ryamizard said Indonesia was a friend to all countries engaged in the South China Sea disputes, including China and the US. He said the US was also a non-claimant state but it opposed the Chinese Navy's operations in the waters amid its efforts to maintain the peace both in international waters and among the claimant states, he went on.

"Even though the dispute has not yet been settled, the utmost importance is that sea routes can be secured," Ryamizard said after a hearing with lawmakers at the House of Representatives in Jakarta on Monday.

The minister explained that the South China Sea, which is spread over 3.5 million square kilometers, held 30 percent of the world's oil reserves with an estimated value of US$ 8 trillion. Thus, the stability in the area should be ensured, he added.

Coordinating Political, Legal, and Security Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said earlier the Defense Ministry would be among the ministries scheduled to hold a meeting to finalize the draft of the government's official stance on the South China Sea on Tuesday. With the official stance, all Indonesian officials will synchronize answers to any queries related to the South China Sea disputes. (ebf)

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