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Attending the ceremony virtually on Friday, the U.S. ambassador
to Indonesia, Sung Kim, said the maritime centre would be part
of ongoing efforts between the two countries to bolster security
in the region.
"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
trans-national crimes," he said, according to a statement from
Bakamla, Indonesia's maritime security agency.
The training centre, located at the strategic meeting point of
the Malacca Strait and the South China Sea, will be run by
Bakamla and houses classrooms, barracks and a launch pad, the
agency said.
The U.S. collaboration with the world's largest archipelagic
nation comes amid rising tensions in the South China Sea, with
the Philippines protesting the presence of hundreds of Chinese
vessels in the Spratly islands this May.
Earlier this month the foreign ministers of Southeast Asia and
China agreed during a meeting to exercise restraint in the South
China Sea and avoid actions that could escalate tensions.
(Reporting by Agustinus Beo Da Costa; Writing by Kate Lamb;
Editing by Kenneth Maxwell)
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