S'pore, KL hail new era of ties

S'pore, KL hail new era of ties

SINGAPORE: Singapore and Malaysia on Tuesday welcomed a new era of warm bilateral relations as they signed an agreement settling a long-running dispute over the city-state's land reclamation works.

The agreement is the first time the Southeast Asian neighbors have settled one of several major bilateral disputes and senior officials from both sides said they were now optimistic the other issues could also be amicably resolved.

"I consider this a milestone in Malaysia-Singapore relations," Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said at a news conference here during the signing ceremony for the agreement.

"My government and I are very delighted that our two countries have been able to reach an amicable solution through a settlement agreement."

The deal allows Singapore to continue reclamation works in the narrow Straits of Johor, a busy international waterway that divides the two nations, while cooperating with Malaysia to ensure navigational safety and environmental protection.

Singapore will modify the design of the shoreline of its reclamation works so the waterway is wider than originally planned in one section, as recommended by a group of independent experts set up by the two countries. --AFP