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Govt calls on House to ratify sea border agreement with Singapore
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The Indonesia-Singapore sea border line (Courtesy /of muktafarikza.blogspot.co.id)
T
he government has called on the House of Representatives to immediately ratify the sea border agreement between Indonesia and Singapore on the eastern part of the Singapore Strait to ensure a clear legal basis in maritime affairs.
The ratification of the agreement will be beneficial for state sovereignty, national defense and Indonesian integrity, Foreign Ministry law and international treaty director general Ferry Adamhar said on Tuesday during a hearing with House Commission I overseeing defense and foreign affairs.
"We will have a clearly marked territorial sea boundary with Singapore," Ferry said, emphasizing the importance of the finalization with regard to economic potential as approximately US$5 trillion worth of trade passes through the strait each year.
The hearing was also attended by senior officials from the Law and Human Rights Ministry, Defense Ministry and Transportation Ministry.
Meanwhile, Commission I chairman Hannafi Rais of the National Mandate Party assured the government that the ratification would be put on the agenda as soon as possible, pending final inspection from the House.
Hanafi pointed to specific concerns related to the agreement that could potentially implicate other parties across the 9.6 km stretch. The agreement, which would be the third of its kind covering areas stretching across the Singapore Strait, encompasses its most eastern part, drawing close to neighboring Malaysia.
He noted that commission members in general were on board with the agreement, which was finalized in 2014 following extensive negotiations between the two countries. (bbn)
