Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore reaffirm commitment to keep Malacca and Singapore straits safe and open
Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow said at the 17th Cooperation Forum that recent events had shown that open sea lanes cannot be taken for granted, and that safe and open waterways depend on international law and cooperation among countries.
Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore have reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining the safety and openness of the Malacca and Singapore straits for international shipping at their 17th Cooperation Forum. The statement, released at the forum that convened in Singapore on Tuesday, highlighted the importance of adhering to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and international law to ensure the rights of ships to transit through the straits.
The leaders emphasized the shared responsibility of nations, international organizations, the maritime industry, and other stakeholders in ensuring navigational safety and protecting the marine environment.
These waterways are vital to global trade, handling nearly a quarter of all seaborne trade and over a third of oil and gas supplies. The forum aims to discuss further initiatives such as the introduction of new technologies and alternative fuels, as well as ongoing technical projects to enhance navigational safety. The Cooperative Mechanism, established in 2007 by Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, serves as a platform for collaboration with other nations utilizing the straits and stakeholders in navigational safety and environmental protection.
Singapore's Transport Minister, Jeffrey Siow, noted that recent events have demonstrated the precarious nature of open sea lanes, including a sharp decline in ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and ongoing attacks on vessels. Siow stressed that the only arrangement under Article 43 of the UNCLOS is the cooperation mechanism between Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, which relies on longstanding trust and collaboration.
The minister also mentioned recent projects, including the use of digital navigational aids during physical aids' maintenance and the upcoming development of regional guidelines for ship distress situations. Additionally, Singapore plans to propose joint measures for responding to cargo fires on container ships, following a recent increase in such incidents.
Written by urgent.news from CNA - Singapore's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
