Udayana Military Command Chief Assures Bali's Security for the 2023 HLM of the AIS Forum

PRESS RELEASE

COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA TEAM OF THE 2023 HLM OF THE AIS FORUM

No.19/SP/TKM-AISFORUM2023/10/2023

Denpasar, 5 October 2023 – The IX/Udayana Regional Military Command Chief (Pangdam) of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) Major General Harfendi guaranteed the safety of Bali for the 2023 High-Level Meeting (HLM) of the Archipelagic and Island States Forum (AIS Forum), which will be held in Nusa Dua, Bali on 10 – 11 October.

Major General Harfendi emphasized this following the commemoration ceremony of the TNI’s 78^th anniversary at Puputan Niti Mandala Field, Renon, Denpasar, Thursday, 5 October.

He also revealed that the TNI has begun preparations for various security measures for the HLM.

"We are ready to secure it because this is an international event, an event for all of us, especially Bali and Indonesia as a whole," said Udayana Military Area Command Chief.

Harfendi also ensured that there were no significant security concerns in Bali to date. As of 5 October, joint personnel and equipment from various locations have begun to arrive in Bali.

Alongside the Indonesian National Police (Polri), the TNI has started their initial plans by conducting a series of Tactical Floor Games (TFG) in both Bali Regional Police and IX/Udayana Military Command.

"We have started preparations for the 1^st HLM. Most recently, we conducted a Tactical Floor Game for the Regional Security Task Force and Evacuation Task Force," said Harfendi.

The joint TFG involving the TNI and Polri will be conducted on Friday, 6 October, in Kepaon, Denpasar, and a troop parade will take place on Saturday, 7 October, at Niti Mandala Field, Renon. The parade will be led directly by the TNI Chief Admiral TNI Yudo Margono, and the Indonesian National Police Chief General Police Listyo Sigit Prabowo.

The main theme of the 1^st HLM is "Fostering Collaboration, Enabling Innovation for Our Ocean and Our Future," with three sub-themes: Blue Economy, Our Ocean Our Future; and Solidarity.

As of Thursday, 5 October, it has been confirmed that 32 countries will be present, with five Heads of State attending directly in Bali, including the President of Micronesia, the Prime Minister of Niue, the Prime Minister of São Tomé and Príncipe, the Prime Minister of Timor-Leste, and the Prime Minister of Tuvalu.

Fiji and Tonga will send their Deputy Prime Ministers. Meanwhile, Maldives, Madagascar, Marshall Islands, Palau, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, and Papua New Guinea will be represented by their Ministers.

Cape Verde and New Zealand will be represented by their Deputy Ministers, while Ireland, Japan, Cyprus, Samoa, Malta, the United Kingdom, Saint Lucia, the Cook Islands, the Philippines, and Suriname will have their Ambassadors in attendance.

Four international organizations will also be present. They are the Melanesian Spearhead Group, the Pacific Island Forum, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and the United Nations Development Programme. (Rolandus Nampu/TR/Irvina Falah/Wisnu Wardoyo)

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About AIS Forum:

The Archipelagic and Island States (AIS) Forum is a global platform for cooperation among island and archipelagic states that aims at strengthening collaboration to address global issues with four main areas of focus: climate change mitigation and adaptation, the blue economy, marine plastic debris, and good maritime governance. The 2023 High-Level Meeting of the AIS Forum is organized to reinforce the role of the AIS Forum as a center for smart & innovative solutions and a platform for collaboration in promoting the future agenda of global maritime governance.

For more information, please contact:

Director General of Public Information and Communications of the Ministry of Communications and Informatics – Usman Kansong (0816785320).

Get more information at https://infopublik.id

Soldiers of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) showcase military martial arts performance during the 78^th TNI anniversary commemoration at Puputan Margarana Field, Denpasar, Bali, Thursday, 5 October 2023. ANTARA FOTO/Nyoman Hendra Wibowo/tom/aa