Singapore Rejects Ship Traffic Restrictions in the Malacca Strait

Moscow (ANTARA) - Countries in Asia located along the Malacca Strait have a strategic interest in keeping that vital waterway open, said Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan on Wednesday (22/4). “The right to passage is guaranteed for all countries. We will not participate in any efforts to close, intercept, or impose duties in our surrounding areas,” Balakrishnan told CNBC. Singapore directly borders the Malacca Strait along with Malaysia and Indonesia. This shipping lane is one of the world’s most important global trade routes, with its narrowest point about two nautical miles wide, making it a crucial hub for energy distribution in East Asia, including exports to China. The Malacca Strait connects the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, and its strategic role is often compared to the Suez Canal and the Strait of Hormuz. Previously, Indonesia’s Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa proposed the possibility of imposing tariffs on ships transiting the strait.