REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The Indonesian government is encouraging all nations, especially ASEAN member countries, to contribute and maintain stability and peace in the Asian region. After news regarding the installation of a number of missile launchers by Vietnam in the South China Sea became known.
"I have not read in detail as to what Vietnam is doing now. Indonesia and all ASEAN countries had reached an agreement two weeks ago to remain committed to keeping peace, stability and security in the region," the spokesman of the Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry, Arrmanatha Nasir said on Thursday.
He added that Indonesia has always emphasized the importance of keeping stability and peace in the region for the sake of economic prosperity in all regions of Asia.
"We always promoted peace and stability in the region, which is not only in ASEAN's interest, but of all Asia. It is because instability in the region will disrupt development all over the world," Arrmanatha said.
According to him, news about Vietnam installing missile launchers will have to be discussed among the ASEAN countries thoroughly before the ASEAN Summit in early September this year.
"We have to see this issue holistically. The ASEAN Summit in early September will be a forum to remind all the member countries to keep peace and stability," Arrmanatha said.
Earlier, Vietnam was reported to have taken this action quietly, placing a number of missiles in the South China Sea.
This was stated by Western country sources and reported by the Reuters news agency on Wednesday.
Western countries' diplomats and military officials claimed to have intelligence information indicating that Vietnam had placed some missile launchers at five bases around the Spratly Islands in recent months.
According to sources, and as reported by Reuters, the launchers were not visible through aerial monitoring and are not armed, and that it takes about two to three days to make the missile fire.
Some military analysts suspect Vietnam's new missiles are part of a sophisticated artillery system called EXTRA that was recently purchased from Israel.
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