SINGAPORE, June 3 ― Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein today confirmed that a trilateral meeting involving Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines on the Sulu Sea will be held next month in Manila.

"Confirm trilateral with Philippines on Sulu Sea next month in Manila," he posted on his Twitter account today.

The tweet was accompanied with a photograph of him with his Indonesian counterpart General Ryamizard Ryacudu whom he met on the sidelines of the three-day 15th Shangri-La Dialogue security forum which opened here today. 

At the recent Asean Defense Ministers Meeting in Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines had agreed to enhance defence cooperation in the Sulu Sea to put a stop to kidnapping and criminal activities in the area.

It would include the sharing of information to curb rising criminality, piracy, kidnapping and smuggling in the Sulu Sea area, the border area common to the three countries.

They also called for joint sea patrols. ― Bernama