Lorenzana to meet with Indon, Malaysian counterparts in August

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 20): Lorenzana to meet with Indon, Malaysian counterparts in August

Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana is scheduled to meet with his Malaysian and Indonesian counterparts in Indonesia on the first week of August.

The August meeting follows the first meeting held in Manila last June 20 where the three defense chiefs discussed the possibility of conducting trilateral air and maritime patrols in common areas of concerns by the three nations.

This is an obvious reference to the Sulu Sea, the maritime area bordering the three nations where Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) bandits have infiltrated and launched several kidnapping attacks against Malaysian and Indonesian seafarers.

Present during the June trilateral meeting were then DND Secretary Voltaire Gazmin; the Minister of Defense Malaysia, His Excellency Dato’ Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein; and the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Indonesia, His Excellency General (R) Ryamizard Ryacudu,

Arsenio Andolong, DND public affairs chief, said the August meeting will also again cooperative means to address the growing security challenges that undermine peace, security and prosperity in the region.

A Framework on Trilateral Cooperation Agreement on Immediate Measures to Address Security Issues in the Maritime Areas of Common Concern among the three countries was signed last July 16.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=905717