Japan offers to help secure Malacca Strait

Japan offers to help secure Malacca Strait

JAKARTA: Japan offered assistance on Thursday to boost security in the Strait of Malacca, the world's busiest seaway.

Visiting Japanese Minister for Trade and Industry Shoichi Nakagawa said Japan was concerned about pirate attacks against Japanese vessels passing through the narrow strait.

He, however, stressed that any assistance would be extended only after Indonesian, Malaysia and Singapore agreed to the proposal.

According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in 1982, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore are responsible for safeguarding the strait.

Early this year, the United States expressed interest in sending warships to guard the strait, but Indonesia and Malaysia were strongly opposed to the move. --JP