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Thursday 19 May 2011

ASEAN countries agree to increase defence industry cooperation

Monsters and critics
May 19, 2011,

Jakarta (DPA)- Defence ministers from the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) agreed Thursday to strengthen cooperation in the military industry sector to reduce reliance for weapons on outside sources.

'There is an urgent need for ASEAN member states to strengthen defence industrial and technological capabilities,' Indonesian Defence Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro said at the end of the meeting.

'Our collaboration will provide opportunities to promote technological sharing based on the principle of flexible, voluntary and non-binding participation,' he added.

ASEAN countries spend a total of 25 billion dollars annually on defence equipment and a regional military industry collaboration could reduce the cost to 12.5 billion dollars per year by 2030, Malaysian Defence Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said.

'Defence equipment trade among ASEAN countries could be an embryo for the creation of an ASEAN defence industry that is strong and independent,' he said on Wednesday.

On Thursday, Ahmad said such collaboration could involve joint ventures between government and private companies, equity participation and technology transfers.

Yusgiantoro said Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, all ASEAN members, had established defence industries, but the region remained a net importer of weapons.

Yusgiantoro said threats such as terrorism, piracy, illegal migration and energy scarcity were all important reasons for ASEAN to strengthen internal cooperation.

'All these challenges are expected to increase in intensity in the future and will entail the involvement of the defence sector,' he said in a speech opening the conference.

Yusgiantoro also said the ministers agreed on an Indonesian and Thai proposal for a regional network of peacekeeping centres as part of efforts to maintain peace and stability in the region.

The network will facilitate cooperation in peacekeeping and conduct planning, training and exchange of knowledge with the aim of developing a regional arrangement, Yusgiantoro said.

Other ASEAN members are Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines and Vietnam.
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Southeast Asian ministers call for creation of regional defence industry

By Niniek Karmini, The Associated Press – 1 hour ago

JAKARTA, Indonesia — Ministers from 10 Southeast Asian nations said Thursday they were ready to work together to create a regional defence industry, including sharing cutting edge technology and possibly jointly developing missiles.

By working together, Malaysian Defence Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said, they could potentially reduce imports by half.

Indonesian Defence Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro wrapped up a two-day meeting in the capital, Jakarta, saying the member countries together spend $25 billion a year on military hardware and weapons systems, much of which is purchased from the West.

Other key suppliers are China, Russia and South Korea.

Ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, also discussed terrorism, maritime security and human trafficking at their annual gathering.

"We see a real need to promote peace and stability in the South China Sea," Yusgiantoro said, noting that two-thirds of the region is water and so what happens there is key to economic development.

The ministers also agreed in principle to set up a regional Peacekeeping Center so that member countries could benefit from shared planning, training, and learn from one another's experiences.

The hope is that they could one day help settle disputes in places like Cambodia and Thailand — where bloody border skirmishes have left nearly 20 dead — and in the insurgency-wracked southern Philippines.

The centerpiece of the meeting, however, was a concept paper presented by Malaysia on the need to work together to create a regional defence industry.

Easily approved, it calls for the joint development of missiles and other high-tech weapons system.

ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

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