Malaysia and Indonesia have agreed that their long-lasting sea border dispute must be solved as soon as possible, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said on October 20.

The agreement was reached during Najib’s first bilateral meeting with Indonesian President Joko Widodo after his inauguration ceremony in Jakarta on the same day.

During the meeting, both sides agreed that each will send a delegation head to negotiations on the matter.
The new Indonesian President said all issues existing between the two countries will be solved as soon as possible to maintain the close bilateral relationship.

The sea border dispute between Malaysia and Indonesia relates to a number of areas, especially South Sulawesi (called Ambalat by Indonesia) in the Celebes Sea offshore Indonesia ’s East Kalimatan and the south-eastern Sabah of Malaysia.

Both countries have claimed their territorial sovereignty over the 15,235 sq.m area, which is believed to own a large oil reserve.-VNA