YOGYAKARTA, Sept 26 — Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore have agreed to strengthen coordination to address a wide range of problems in the Malacca Strait and Singapore Strait which serve as important global trade routes, Indonesia’s Antara news agency reports.
“The three countries are very serious in view of many passing ships there,” Chief Executive of Singapore’s Maritime Port Authority (MPA) Andrew Tan said in a press conference here today.
Tan said his side had also made every effort to conduct the best security practice for all parties that have interest in the Malacca Strait.
Looking ahead, he said his side felt it necessary to improve navigational safety in the shipping routes particularly to deal with piracy and oil leakage.
Statistical data show that a number of incidents in the Malacca Strait which serves as an important global trade route and benefits nearby countries could be dealt with, he added.
Tan was in Yogyakarta to attend the 41st Tripartite Technical Experts Group” (TTEG) and the 9th “Cooperation Forum” (CF) which serve as conference to discuss the safety of shipping routes in the Malacca Strait and Singapore Strait.
Secretary General of the Indonesian Transportation Ministry Sugihardjo said the cooperation among several countries was relevant to President Joko Widodo’s vision to turn Indonesia into a global maritime axis to strengthen the national identity as a maritime state.
“The Malacca Strait is one of the strategic and vital shipping routes to link shipping lanes to various countries in the world,” he said. — Bernama
