Phl, Indonesia delineate maritime borders

MANILA, Philippines - After 20 years of continued negotiations, the Philippines and Indonesia have finally settled peacefully their overlapping maritime claims in the hope of bringing more benefits to the two neighbors.

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who was in Manila for a two-day state visit and the World Economic Forum, thanked President Aquino for what he called the “new key milestone.”

“God willing, in Allah, it will bring great benefit, real benefit for both Indonesia and the Philippines. Therefore with the agreement or such delimitation of maritime boundaries, we may work even closer,” Yudhoyono said at a joint press conference.

The agreement signed yesterday is the result of a rules-based negotiation between Manila and Jakarta to achieve an “equitable delimitation of their overlapping exclusive economic zone” in the Mindanao Sea, Celebes Sea and the Philippine Sea, Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said.

“We may cooperate in maritime and fisheries, cooperate in the field of facing transnational crime and cooperate in ecotourism and other areas which I know will bring great benefit for Indonesia and benefit for the Philippines,” Yudhoyono said.

“This is indeed a model, a good example that any border disputes, including maritime border tension, can be resolved peacefully,” the Indonesian leader stressed, apparently in reference to the conflicting maritime claims between China and the Philippines.

Apart from the “agreement on maritime boundary delimitation,” two other memorandums of understanding were also signed – on higher education and on combating international terrorism.

The first MOU was signed by Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario and his counterpart Marty Natalegawa.

The second agreement was signed by Commission on Higher Education Chairman Patricia Licuanan and her counterpart Mohammad Nuh, while the last was signed by National Security Adviser Cesar Garcia and his counterpart Ansyaad Mbai.

This is the first maritime boundary treaty of the Philippines.

The exclusive economic zone (EEZ) boundary was reached on the basis of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the state practice and decisions of international tribunals on maritime boundary delimitation. 

The EEZ boundary line defines the limits of the sea space in the southern Philippines, allowing our fishermen and other stakeholders a clear extent of the area where they can exercise the sovereign rights over the waters as provided for by national laws and treaties including the 1982 UNCLOS.  

The EEZ boundary will also enhance the efforts of government agencies to enforce Philippine fishing, maritime and security laws.

It is the result of the work of the Philippines-Indonesia Joint Permanent Working Group on Maritime and Oceans Concerns (JPWG-MOC), officials said.

The National Mapping and Resources Information Administration of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and its Indonesian counterparts assisted the JPWG-MOC in the preparation of the charts for the EEZ boundary.

Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Policy Evan Garcia led the Philippine delegation to the 8th Meeting of the JPWG-MOC on May 18 in Jakarta where the text of the agreement and the charts were finalized. 

For his part, Aquino thanked Yudhoyono for his first state visit to the country, describing the bilateral discussions as productive as both Asian leaders strive to strengthen the two countries’ economic and diplomatic relations.

“We shared thoughts on how we can deepen the areas of cooperation between our two nations, and strengthen the mechanisms that will not only redound to the advancement of Indonesia and the Philippines, but will also contribute to the growth of the ASEAN region,” Aquino said.

Aquino was glad the agreement on overlapping maritime claims has been signed.

“This is a milestone agreement that is founded on the principles of international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. It serves as solid proof of our steadfast commitment to uphold the rule of law and pursue the peaceful and equitable settlement of maritime concerns,” he said.

The Indonesian leader accepted Aquino’s invitation for a state visit extended to him in January 2012, or a year after the latter also undertook a state visit in Jakarta in March 2011, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said.

Yudhoyono was conferred the Global Statesmanship Award at the World Economic Forum yesterday, where he also witnessed the official turnover to Indonesia of the hosting of the 24th WEF-East Asia in 2015.

Yudhoyono was also conferred with the Order of Sikatuna, rank of Raja, in a state dinner hosted in his honor last night.

Indonesia was Philippines’ 13th major trading partner in 2013, with total trade of $3.512 billion.

There are 9,844 Filipinos living and working in Indonesia. This year marks the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Indonesia.

This was Yudhoyono’s first visit to the Philippines since he became Indonesia’s president for two consecutive terms in 2004 and 2009. Aquino undertook his state visit to Indonesia on March 7 to 9, 2011.