Indonesia, Thailand sign MoU on fishing

Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Indonesia and neighboring Thailand agreed on Friday to boost efforts to deal with illegal fishing in their respective territorial waters.

Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda and his counterpart Surakiart Sathiraythai signed a wide-ranging memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the fishing industry.

Surakiart, accompanying Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on his two-day visit to Jakarta, said his government would respect regulations implemented by the Indonesian government.

Reaffirming his pledge, the minister said Thailand would not object if Thai fishermen caught poaching in Indonesian waters were brought before an Indonesian court.

"We will respect Indonesia's legal system. Our fishermen also want to carry out legal fishing activities in Indonesia," he said.

With the expanded cooperation in the fishing industry, the Thai government expected a reduction in the incidence of illegal fishing in both countries' waters, he said.

"The MoU also involves a regulation on investment, fishing industry management, fishing licenses, and research," he was quoted by Antara as saying.

According to Hassan, Indonesia also expected Thailand to help expand its fishing industry.

To follow up the MoU, the two governments have agreed to arrange for senior officials to meet in the near future.

At separate occasions earlier in the day, Prime Minister Thaksin met speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Amien Rais and Speaker of the House of Representatives Akbar Tandjung.

During the meeting, Thaksin voiced his enthusiasm to improve cooperation with Indonesia in the agriculture and fishing industries.

"We have similar understandings over the challenge in the years ahead," Akbar said after the meeting.

In the meeting with Thaksin, Akbar was accompanied by House deputy speaker Tosari Widjaja and some legislators from Commission I for foreign affairs.

Meanwhile, the Thai Farmers Research Center has said that Thaksin's visit to Indonesia would benefit Thailand in terms of trade, investment and tourism, and strengthened bilateral relations.

It was quoted by the Thai News Agency (TNA) as saying that the two-day visit was expected to boost economic relations between the two countries in seven main areas -- the rice market, bilateral trade, natural rubber, fisheries, reduction of industrial tariffs, investment and tourism.