1. The Republic of Korea will host the Fifth ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Inter-Sessional Meeting on Maritime Security at its Foreign Ministry on April 18 and 19.

° The ROK, together with the US and Indonesia, currently serves as the Meeting’s co-chair.

2. In the Meeting, some 80 people from 23 of the 27 ARF member states will exchange views on ways to strengthen regional cooperation, particularly in enforcing maritime law, implementing the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code, and protecting marine environment, as well as on the ARF Work Plan on Maritime Security adopted in July 2011.

° The Meeting will bring together officials from foreign ministries, coast guard agencies, maritime ministries and defense ministries of the participating countries, as well as experts from such organizations as the Secretariat of the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) and the Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific (CSCAP), who are expected to engage in robust discussions.

3. As the Asia-Pacific region has a high maritime dependency, how to jointly meet various and new maritime challenges, including protection of vessels and ports and the degradation of marine ecosystem, is emerging as a key security issue. The ROK, by hosting the upcoming Meeting, will continue to play its role as a responsible middle-power country that contributes to world peace and development.

                         Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations of MOFA

* unofficial translation