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Indonesia, US set up $3.5m maritime training center
Indonesia is situated at the center of the Indo-Pacific region and controls four vital sea lanes of communication for international trade and shipping, namely the Malacca, Sunda, Lombok and Makassar straits.
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United States Ambassador Sung Kim (on-screen, right) and Indonesian Maritime Security Agency (Bakamla) chief Vice Adm. Aan Kurnia (on-screen, left), virtually attend the groundbreaking ceremony of the US-backed Bakamla maritime training center in Batam, Riau Islands province, on June 25. (Courtesy of Bakamla/-)
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ndonesia and the United States broke ground on Friday on the construction of a US$3.5 million maritime training center for the Maritime Security Agency (Bakamla) in Batam, Riau Islands province, which lies at the meeting point of the Straits of Malacca and the South China Sea.
Representatives from the Indonesian coast guard, the US Embassy in Jakarta and the US State Department's Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) were present at the kick-off ceremony.
US Ambassador Sung Kim and Bakamla chief Vice Adm. Aan Kurnia were also in attendance, albeit virtually.
“As a friend and partner to Indonesia, the United States remains committed to supporting Indonesia’s important role in maintaining regional peace and security by fighting domestic and transnational crimes,” Kim said in his speech, according to a Bakamla statement.
Read also: Bakamla, USCG hold workshop amid discovery of suspected Chinese UUVs
The envoy also noted that the initiative was part of sustainable US engagement in its partnership to combat transnational crimes, by providing equipment and reinforcement, as well as training and technical support to Bakamla since its establishment in 2014.
The training ground is a result of collaboration between Bakamla, the US Coast Guard, INL Bureau, Joint Interagency Task Force West, US Indo-Pacific Command and the Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command.
