Malaysia, Indonesia in talks again to end 25-year dispute on

Malaysia, Indonesia in talks again to end 25-year dispute on
isles

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Malaysia and Indonesia launched talks
yesterday for the second time this year to resolve overlapping
claims on two Southeast Asian islands which have strained ties
for a quarter of a century, officials said.

The meeting of the Malaysia-Indonesia Joint Commission will
pursue an agreement in January to exchange relevant treaties,
conventions and understandings on the Sipadan and Ligitan islands
off southeast Borneo, they said.

The three-day meeting among 60 senior officials would also
discuss bilateral economic cooperation and security problems.

"Both countries must strive to arrive at lasting solutions to
their problems .... lest they affect existing close relations,"
said Ahmad Kamil Jaafar, Kuala Lumpur's chief negotiator.

Kamil, secretary-general of Malaysia's foreign ministry, said
the negotiators would try to solve the 25-year-old dispute
between Indonesia and Malaysia on the ownership of the islands,
long managed by Kuala Lumpur.

Documents and maps on the isles were exchanged by both sides
during a separate conference in January, officials said.

Malaysian officials said they had agreed with their Indonesian
counterparts to resolve the dispute through diplomatic channels.

Officials said the illegal migration of Indonesian Acehnese
refugees to Malaysia and Kuala Lumpur's labor imports from
Jakarta would also feature in the talks.

Other issues to be pursued during the talks were related to
trade, investment, tourism, air services, technology and
information, officials said, adding that growth areas promoted by
the two nations with Singapore, Thailand, Brunei and the
Philippines would also be studied.

Indonesia's foreign affairs department head Azhar Ibrahim is
leading the Jakarta team to the talks, whose conclusions were
scheduled to be endorsed soon.