Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – As many as 54 experts in personal capacity from Indonesia, China, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Chinese-Taipei and Vietnam are discussing on managing potential conflicts in the South China Sea at a workshop organized by the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Center for Southeast Asian Studies.

A statement from the ministry received by Indonesia Window here, Wednesday mentioned that the 29th workshop that has been established since 1990 is held in Batam, Riau Islands on September 10-12, 2019.

The workshop was opened by the Director General of Policy Analysis and Development Agency (PADA), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Siswo Pramono.

"The presence of various participants from the South China Sea in this Workshop, which have spanned for almost three decades, reflect our commitment to continuously uphold the constructive engagements,” Siswo pointed out.

The annual workshop, held in Indonesia since 1990, aimed at developing closer cooperation in order to support peace, stability, and prosperity in the South China Sea.

The South China Sea region was deemed vulnerable to conflicts due to overlapping jurisdictional claims by several parties in the region.

Dialogue on the potential of cooperation in various projects are discussed in cordial and transparent manners. Thus, making itself as an effective vehicle for peace.

Some of the research projects proposed by Indonesia are, among others, Anambas II Expedition which is a research project to measure biodiversity and marine pollution, as well as the impact of sea level rise to the coastal area.

This workshop is organized by Indonesia, as a non-claimant and honest broker. It is part of one and a half track diplomacy to support the negotiation effort in the first-track (inter-governmental) by building trust (confidence building measures) among parties in the region.

The 1.5 diplomacy path is carried out by building mutual trust between the disputing parties.

Reporting by Indonesia Window