RI, Malaysia to begin Ambalat talks

RI, Malaysia to begin Ambalat talks

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

In an attempt to seek a peaceful solution to the Ambalat dispute,
technical teams from Indonesia and Malaysia will meet in Jakarta
on Tuesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Monday.

Ministry spokesman Marty Natalegawa confirmed that the two-day
gathering was a result of a meeting between the two countries'
foreign ministers in Jakarta on March 10.

Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda and his
Malaysian counterpart Syed Hamid Albar agreed during the meeting
to solve the dispute through negotiation.

"In accordance with the decision reached by the two ministers,
the technical teams from Indonesia and Malaysia will meet on
March 22 and March 23 to discuss the issue of Ambalat," Marty
told The Jakarta Post. He did not elaborate.

"We are trying to make things as conducive as possible for the
technical meeting to go ahead," he said.

The ministry earlier said the Indonesian team would consist of
experts in maritime law, geology, hydrology and mapping, among
other things.

"The Indonesian team has been working hard to on preparing for
the meeting," another spokesman, Yuri Thamrin, said over the
weekend.

They, however, refused to identify the chairman and members of
Indonesia's negotiating team.

The two countries have agreed to refer to the 1982 UN
Convention on the Law of the Sea in solving the problem.