Jakarta: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto have reaffirmed their dedication to enhancing strategic cooperation between Malaysia and Indonesia, focusing on the joint development of the Ambalat maritime border area. This commitment was announced during a press conference following their bilateral meeting at Istana Merdeka.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Anwar emphasized the need for both countries to engage in economic cooperation that could benefit their citizens, particularly in the Ambalat region. He highlighted the importance of moving past the current negotiation hurdles related to principles, regulations, and laws to accelerate development efforts.
Prabowo echoed Anwar's sentiments, underlining the necessity of addressing technical issues concerning borders and maritime matters. He suggested a joint-development mechanism as a means to initiate economic cooperation in the Ambalat area while awaiting a legal settlement.
The leaders also expressed their intent to bolster collaboration in research, education, culture, trade, and investment, acknowledging the challenges posed by tariffs imposed by the United States. Additionally, Anwar and Prabowo agreed to conduct the 13th Malaysia-Indonesia Annual Consultations next month.
Anwar addressed regional issues, including the Myanmar conflict, indicating Malaysia's commitment to a peaceful resolution, with support from Indonesia. He also mentioned concerns about border tensions between Thailand and Cambodia, highlighting the necessity of diplomatic engagement to reduce hostilities.
Accompanying Anwar on his one-day official visit to Jakarta were Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz, Minister of Higher Education Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir, Minister of Communications Datuk Fahmi Fadzil, and Minister of Plantations and Commodity Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani. The delegation departed Jakarta for Kuala Lumpur from Halim Perdanakusuma Airport after concluding discussions with Prabowo.