TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – The European Union (EU) and Indonesia conducted their first joint naval exercise in the Arabian Sea on 14 and 15 August. The exercise involved the Indonesian Navy (TNI AL) corvette KRI Sultan Iskandar Muda and the frigate EU NAVFOR Somalia – Operation Atalanta ITS Virginio Fasan, as stated in a press release received by Tempo August 16.

The exercise was based on the scenario of an anti-piracy operation. “This included helicopter landings across the bridge, complex tactical evolutions at sea, boarding of suspicious vessels and refueling at sea,” as stated in the press release. The EU Critical Maritime Routes in the Indo-Pacific (CRIMARIO) project provided its Indo-Pacific Regional Information Sharing (IORIS) platform for communication among exercise participants.

KRI Sultan Iskandar Muda has just completed a mission with the Maritime Task Force of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon. Through its active contribution to peacekeeping missions, Indonesia makes a tangible contribution to international peace and security in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations. Both Indonesia and the EU support a rules-based international order and effective multilateralism centered on the United Nations.

They are committed to a free, open, inclusive and rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific region, underpinned by respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty, democracy, rule of law, transparency, freedom of navigation and overflight, unhindered lawful commerce and peaceful settlement of disputes. They reaffirm the primacy of international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The European Union and Indonesia intend to strengthen their operational cooperation at sea, including joint naval exercises and port calls. Complementing their operational cooperation, they intend to improve the exchange of information and experience and build maritime domain awareness capabilities, notably through EU projects on security cooperation in and with Asia (ESIWA) and on critical maritime routes in the Indo-Pacific (CRIMARIO).

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