Indonesia Moves Closer to Ratifying Maritime Border Treaty with Singapore

Channel NewsAsia

07 October 2016

Indonesian lawmakers are in the final stages of ratifying a treaty demarcating the maritime boundaries in the eastern stretch of the Singapore Strait.

The two neighbours signed the agreement during former Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s visit to Singapore in 2014. The agreement defines the boundary spanning about 9.4km between Singapore’s Changi and the Indonesian island of Batam.

“The mood among the lawmakers is very positive – they are eager to ratify this before we have our recess period at the end of this month,” said Hanafi Rais, chairman of Commission I, which oversees defence and foreign affairs.

This is the third maritime boundary treaty between Singapore and Indonesia along the Singapore Strait. In 1973, both countries agreed on the maritime boundary along the central part of the waterway. In 2009, an agreement on boundaries in the western section between Sultan Shoal and Pulau Nipa was reached.

… “It is good for bilateral ties – good fences make good neighbours,” said Bilveer Singh, Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Centre of Excellence for National Security, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.

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Last updated on 10/10/2016