Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia's National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) and China's Ministry of Natural Resources held the 8th China-Southeast Asian Countries Marine Cooperation Forum to strengthen collaboration in handling maritime issues.
Held annually since 2013, the forum aims to bolster cooperation between Southeast Asian countries and China in efforts to protect and restore maritime ecosystems, prevent and mitigate maritime disasters, conduct science and technology research, and devise maritime management and policies.
"We are not only a bilateral partner but also a hub for cooperation between China for maritime and a hub for all countries in the Southeast Asian region," BRIN Head Laksana Tri Handoko said after opening the event in Jakarta on Thursday.
In addition to maritime issues, the international forum discussed issues concerning the interaction between the sea and the atmosphere that have an impact on climate change.
Baca juga: BRIN menjelaskan kebijakan perlindungan dan valuasi KI hasil riset
Handoko noted that as an archipelagic country with oceans accounting for 60 percent of its territory, Indonesia is greatly affected by dynamics occurring in the sea and climate change.
Baca juga: Anggaran riset BRIN terbuka semua pihak
Therefore, he views cooperation with various countries as important to tackle issues related to maritime and climate change.
He highlighted that all oceans are connected, which makes it very important to cooperate with various countries to address issues surrounding climate change, changes in vegetation in the sea, weather, as well as marine debris.
