"The implementation of the code of conduct is important considering the rising tensions in the South China Sea," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Arrmanatha Nasir told reporters on Thursday.

Arrmanatha was responding to reports on China's aim for the document to be concluded by mid-2017, saying that Indonesia wanted discussions to be finalized even sooner. Involved parties were not obligated to stick to the time frame projected by China, he added.

Discussions on the COC between China and ASEAN, of which four of its member states are claimants to the disputed region, have been taking place for over a decade, with little to no progress in creating concrete results on the biding set of rules. To this, he said Indonesia's commitment for the implementation remained firm.

China also expressed its keenness to realizing the COC during discussions at the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in Vientiane, Laos last month, Arrmanatha said.

The issue is likely to be highlighted at the ASEAN Summit in Vientiane, Laos next month as part of efforts to maintain peace and stability in the region. Indonesia, which is a not claimant to the vast waters, has been one of the most proactive countries pushing for negotiations and the immediate settlement of the framework, he added. (rin)

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