Hanoi (VNA) – Singapore and Malaysia's leaders on April 9 vowed to cooperate to solve disputes after tensions between the neighbours over airspace and maritime boundaries.

In recent days, the two countries suspended overlapping maritime claims to allow talks and Singapore halted the controversial landing procedures, ahead of a visit by Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to Malaysia on April 9. 

After holding talks in Malaysia’s administrative capital of Putrajaya, Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohamad and his Singaporean counterpart spoke highly of the moves to ease tensions.

Mahathir announced in a press conference that the two sides agreed that the fundamental principle is to resolve issues of concern in a friendly and constructive manner.

As close neighbours, Singapore and Malaysia must expect issues to arise from time to time but provided the countries can address them in a constructive spirit, side effects can be managed, Lee added.

The countries’ leaders also announced talks on their maritime boundaries would begin in a month.-VNA
VNA