Royal Malaysian Navy chief Admiral Abdul Aziz Jaafar will be among the world’s naval leaders who will convene in Newport, Rhode Island, next week to discuss the challenges of combating piracy and other common maritime security issues.
He has been invited to lead a panel discussion at the three-day biennial 19th International Seapower S
ymposium, which begins on Oct 7, considered one of the largest gatherings of maritime leaders in history.
To date 106 nations have confirmed participation in the event, which celebrates the 40thanniversary of the gathering.
US Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Gary Roughead told Bernama Wednesday that Abdul Aziz had accepted the invitation to attend the symposium.
Roughead said Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand had successfully worked together to combat piracy in the Straits of Malacca and in the rest of the region by sharing information and naval cooperation in fighting piracy, leading to a dramatic drop in incidents.
Tracking piracy worldwide
He added that both the US na
val intelligence and the International Maritime Bureau in Kuala Lumpur, which tracks piracy worldwide, reported a decline in sea robbery as navies and coast guards had gone on the offensive.
“Malaysia has provided significant contribution in the fight against piracy off Somalia, and the lessons and experiences, and the successful collaborative efforts in Africa would be shared at the upcoming meeting,” Roughead said.
Malaysia is part of an international patrol contingent of some two dozen warships from several countries, including the US, Russia and members of the European Union, in anti-piracy efforts in the Gulf of Aden.
Russia and Vietnam are sending senior officers as delegates at the upcoming event, compared with just sending naval attaches in previous years.
Noticeably absent is China. "No, China will not attend," Roughead said.
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