Indonesia, Thailand sign MoU on fishing

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.