ASEAN member countries will step up security cooperation in all of their regions to anticipate acts of terrorism, which can happen anytime, Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda has said.

“The threat of terrorism is a serious issue that has to be discussed at the ASEAN’s ministerial level because it can tarnish the image of any affected country,” the minister was quoted as saying on July 30 by the Indonesian news agency (Antara).

According to the official, each ASEAN country should support terrorism prevention efforts and prevent the transit of terrorists from one ASEAN country to another.

He said the recent bombings of the JW Marriott and Ritz Carlton hotels in Jakarta had aroused the sympathy of all ASEAN member countries and ASEAN working partner countries such as the United States and Australia./.