Deputy Foreign Minister: Cooperation in the Malacca Strait remains maintained amidst global conditions
The Indonesian Deputy Foreign Minister, Arif Havas Oegroseno, has ensured that cooperation in managing the Malacca Strait among the surrounding nations remains stable amidst global geopolitical tensions.
“The countries bordering the Malacca Strait—Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore—hold regular technical meetings between their respective maritime authorities to discuss navigational safety in the Malacca Strait,” said Havas following a symposium on the enforcement of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) at the Netherlands Embassy in Jakarta on Monday. He added that this mechanism also extends to the Singapore Strait, which connects to the southern part of the Malacca Strait.
Furthermore, the three managing nations invite countries that utilise transit rights in the Malacca Strait to contribute to the management of the maritime area through established cooperation mechanisms. He explained that the management efforts by Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore include the provision of navigational aids and information regarding maritime security, ensuring that all vessels navigating the area receive maximum information for their safety and security.
To ensure smooth passage through the Malacca Strait, the managing nations have also agreed to reroute Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCC) and similar massive vessels to sail through the Sunda Strait and the Lombok Strait. This is because, with an average depth of approximately 20–30 metres, the Malacca Strait is too shallow for such extremely large ships, he noted. Consequently, supertankers from Southeast Asia, Europe, and Africa heading towards Singapore or the South China Sea will be directed through the Sundra Strait, while vessels from Australia will sail via the Lombok Strait.
Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan noted that the collaboration between Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia in maintaining the security and openness of the Malacca and Singapore Straits in accordance with UNCLOS could serve as a model for other regions globally. “The success of Indonesia and the effective cooperation we have in this region has a significant impact on the prospects of ASEAN, but it can also serve as a positive example for the entire world,” Balakrishnan stated during a joint press conference with Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono in Jakarta on Tuesday.