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THE BATAM JOINT STATEMENT OF THE 4TH TRIPARTITE MINISTERIAL MEETING

OF THE LITTORAL STATES ON THE STRAITS OF MALACCA AND SINGAPORE

BATAM, INDONESIA, 1 - 2 AUGUST 2005 

  1. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia, H.E. Dr. N. Hassan Wirajuda, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia, Hon. Dato’ Seri Syed Hamid Albar,  and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Singapore, H.E. George Yeo, met in Batam, on 1-2 August 2005 to discuss matters pertaining to the safety of navigation, environmental protection and maritime security in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore.

 

  1. The Foreign Ministers of Malaysia and Singapore appreciated the initiative of the Foreign Minister of Indonesia for convening this timely Meeting in view of the current challenges faced by the littoral States and user States of the Straits.

 

  1. The Ministers noted the series of Tripartite Ministerial Meetings of the Straits of Malacca and Singapore as well as Meetings at the technical level held annually within the context of the Tripartite Technical Experts Group (TTEG) on safety of navigation and Revolving Fund Committee (RFC) in dealing with issues of environmental protection in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore.

 

  1. The Ministers reaffirmed the sovereignty and sovereign rights of the Littoral States over the Straits of Malacca and Singapore, defined under UNCLOS 1982 as straits used for international navigation. As such, the primary responsibility over the safety of navigation, environmental protection and maritime security in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore lies with the littoral States.

 

  1. The Ministers emphasized that whatever measures undertaken in the Straits should be in accordance with international law including UNCLOS 1982. In this regard they acknowledged the interest of user States and relevant international agencies and the role they could play in respect of the Straits.

 

  1. The Ministers recognized the importance of the Tripartite Ministerial Meeting on the Straits of Malacca and Singapore in providing the overall framework for cooperation. They agreed that the Ministers and the Senior Officials should meet on a more regular basis to address relevant issues in a timely manner. Such meetings may include, if necessary, representatives of other relevant agencies of the respective littoral States.

 

  1. The Ministers recognized the importance of engaging the states bordering the funnels leading to the Straits of Malacca and Singapore, and the major users of the Straits. In this regard, the Ministers supported continuing discussion on the overall subject of maritime security in the South East Asian region within the framework of ASEAN and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF). 

 

  1. The Ministers acknowledged the good work carried out by the Tripartite Technical Experts Group (TTEG) on Safety of Navigation in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore. They also recognized the efforts of the Revolving Fund Committee (RFC) in dealing with issues of environmental protection in the Straits. In this regard, the Ministers welcomed the convening of the 30th TTEG on Safety of Navigation Meeting scheduled to be held in Penang, Malaysia, in September 2005.

 

  1. The Ministers encouraged cooperation between littoral States and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to put in place the Pilot Project of Marine Electronic Highway (MEH) as a step forward for the enhancement of the safety of navigation and environmental protection in the Straits. The Ministers also took note of the forthcoming establishment of the ReCAAP Information Sharing Center in Singapore. In this regard the Ministers of Indonesia and Malaysia indicated their respective countries’ preparedness to cooperate with the Center.

 

  1. The Ministers supported the convening of the Chiefs of Defence Forces of Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand Informal Meeting (CDF-MIST Informal Meeting) in Kuala Lumpur on 1-2 August 2005, and encouraged them to further strengthen their cooperation. 

 

  1. The Ministers acknowledged that the littoral States should address the issue of maritime security comprehensively which includes trans-boundary crimes such as piracy, armed robbery and terrorism. The Ministers also recognized the need to address the issue of trafficking in persons, and smuggling of people, weapons and other trans-boundary crimes through appropriate mechanisms.

 

  1. The Ministers agreed to establish a TTEG on Maritime Security to complement the works of the existing TTEG on Safety of Navigation and the Revolving Fund Committee.

 

  1. Bearing in mind the responsibility and burden of littoral States and the interests of user States in maintaining the safety of navigation, environmental protection and maritime security, the Ministers welcomed the assistance of the user States, relevant international agencies, and the shipping community in the areas of capacity building, training and technology transfer, and other forms of assistance in accordance with UNCLOS 1982. In this regard they also welcomed closer collaboration between littoral States and the international community.

 

  1. The Ministers expressed regret at Lloyds’ categorization of the Straits of Malacca and Singapore as a high risk zone for piracy and terrorism without consulting and taking into account the existing efforts of the littoral States to deal with the problems of safety of navigation and maritime security. The Ministers urged the Committee to review its risk assessment accordingly.

 

  1. The Ministers welcomed the forthcoming “Meeting on the Straits of Malacca and Singapore: Enhancing Safety, Security and Environmental Protection” in collaboration with the International Maritime Organization to be held on 7-8 September 2005 in Jakarta, Indonesia.

 

 

       Batam, 2 August 2005