ASEAN army chiefs attend informal meeting in Jakarts

A number of ASEAN army chiefs attended an informal meeting at the Merdeka Palace here on Thursday.

But Indonesian Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro said that nothing had been discussed with regard to armed operations at the meeting.

"They discussed nothing associated with armed operations because it is an informal meeting," defense minister Purnomo said before attending the gathering.

Purnomo said the informal meeting may clarify Indonesia`s commitment to not form a military pact in the Asean region, because according to him, military cooperation was not only in the form of war.

"The cooperation may be in military operations but other than war," Purnomo said.

He added that the military operation other than in war could be among others in disaster management, peace missions, terror management, and maritime territorial security.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is scheduled to attend the Asean Chiefs of Defense Forces informal meeting which is to be marked with welcome speeches from National Defense Forces (TNI) Chief Admiral Agus Suhartono and Asean Chief of Defense Forces, Royal Thai Armed Forces General Songkitti Jaggabatara.

Source: ANTARA