Expanded Sulu patrols
The Southeast Asian state has called for a widening of collaboration this front in recognition of the challenges it faces and the opportunities before it.
Malaysia Spotlights Expanded Sulu Sea Trilateral Patrols
This week, in remarks to a security forum, Malaysia’s defense minister called for the expansion of ongoing trilateral cooperation between Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines with respect to the Sulu Sea. Though his remarks came as little surprise given the shape of collaboration underway, it nonetheless once again put the spotlight on an example of subregional cooperation in Southeast Asia in the wake of growing security challenges.
As I have noted before, trilateral patrols in the Sulu Sea had been discussed as early as 2016 but finally began to take shape as the Trilateral Cooperative Agreement (TCA) in 2017, with maritime patrols launched in June after multiple delays, air patrols taking off subsequently in October, and the gradual integration of Singapore and Brunei as observer countries as well.
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Source: thediplomat.com
