Indonesia hopes to resolve border issues with Malaysia within the year
07 Jan 2022 04:30pm
Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi hopes to resolve territorial disputes with Malaysia within the year -- Bernama Photo.
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He hoped that the Territorial Maritime Boundary Agreement involving the Sulawesi Sea and the Straits of Malacca can be negotiated and signed by both countries based on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982 regarding the regulation of the use of the sea and its resources.
"For the land border, priority will be given to resolve the Outstanding Boundary Line Problems including Pulau Sebatik," he said in a statement on the achievements of 2021 diplomacy and 2022 targets.
Pulau Sebatik is located in the Nunukan District of East Kalimantan Region which shares a border with Malaysia.
Indonesia held 17 border negotiations last year with the Philippines, Malaysia, Palau and Vietnam, compared to just seven the previous year.
On ASEAN, Retno said ASEAN solidarity must be strengthened to face the COVID-19 pandemic, inequality in vaccination rates, natural disasters, the refugee crisis and climate change.
The region is also witnessing increasing competition between major countries in the Indo-Pacific region.
"ASEAN must continue to increase its role in developing the ASEAN community and creating a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific region," he explained.
Retno said Indonesia would continue to be active in peace and humanitarian diplomacy, including in Afghanistan, Palestine, the Rohingya issue and the political crisis in Myanmar.-- Bernama
