Malaysia and Indonesia to hold talks on territorial claims
BY SIM LEOI LEOIPUTRAJAYA: Malaysian and Indonesian leaders have decided to hold urgent talks in an effort to resolve a brewing dispute over overlapping claims of oil-rich areas in the Sulawesi Sea.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono spoke for 10 minutes on the matter over the telephone yesterday morning. Abdullah told reporters that the talks were to prevent any untoward incident from flaring up, which could disrupt relations between the two countries.
“I have talked with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono this morning and we both agreed that the foreign ministers of both countries will hold talks on this.
“We hope that any problem arising from this dispute can thus be resolved through discussions via diplomatic channels,” he said at the Prime Minister’s Department's monthly gathering at his office here yesterday.
Discussions were the best way to resolve the dispute, he said, adding that the two countries were eager to settle the overlapping claims as soon as possible.
Indonesia had protested against Malaysia’s move to award two concession blocks in the Sulawesi Sea to Shell and Petronas Carigali Sdn Bhd for hydrocarbon exploration.
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Following the reported intrusion by Indonesian navy ships, Malaysia sent a protest note to Indonesia.
Malaysia had claimed that these two blocks were within the territorial rights of the Sipadan and Litigan Islands, which were awarded by the International Court of Justice.
On the government's move to crack down on illegal foreign workers, Abdullah said it had not affected the cordial bilateral relations between Malaysia and Indonesia.
Meanwhile, Susilo said on local radio during a visit to the border area that he had talked with Abdullah by telephone before leaving for Jakarta, and they had agreed to work towards resolving the dispute.
“We talked constructively to solve this problem in the best possible way,” Reuters quoted him as saying.
“He said he will send his foreign minister soon to Jakarta. I welcome his proposal. Our hope is that this problem can be solved through diplomatic channels with a fair solution in respect to Indonesia’s sovereign and territorial rights.”
No timeframe was given for the talks, but Malaysia’s Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar is due in Jakarta this week for meetings with his European Union and Asean counterparts.
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