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Indonesia calls for ‘diplomacy, dialogue’ ahead of Japan meeting
Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto refuses to get embroiled in Japan's dispute with China ahead of a two-plus-two foreign and defense ministers' meeting on Tuesday between Indonesia and Japan.
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Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto waves toward journalists as President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo (unseen) unveils his new Cabinet on the steps of the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Oct. 23, 2019. (JP/Seto Wardhana)
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efense Minister Prabowo Subianto has emphasized the need to “prioritize diplomacy and dialogue” in regional disputes ahead of a two-plus-two foreign and defense ministers’ meeting between Indonesia and Japan, as the threat of open conflict at sea looks increasingly possible.
Prabowo is in Tokyo as part of a string of working visits to partner countries that include Japan, Russia and the United Kingdom.
On Sunday, Prabowo called on Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi and exchanged views on bilateral defense cooperation and regional security.
In their first face-to-face meeting during pandemic times, the ministers spoke about China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific region.
According to a statement from Japan’s Defense Ministry, the two ministers underlined the importance of freedom of overflight and navigation and reaffirmed the need to observe international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). China is a signatory of UNCLOS, but regional security experts have bemoaned the fact that it often disregards the convention.
The partners have also agreed to hold joint exercises of Japanese and Indonesian forces in the South China Sea.
Kishi told reporters afterward that he and the Indonesian minister agreed to strongly oppose any action by China that could escalate tensions in regional waters.
