Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (right) with Indonesian President Joko Widodo at a joint press conference during the Singapore-Indonesia Leaders Retreat on March 16, 2023. - ST
SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/Asia News Network): Singapore and Indonesia have jointly applied to the international body overseeing airspace management to approve the realigning of both countries’ flight boundaries.
Announcing this at a joint press conference with Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Thursday (March 16), Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said Singapore looks forward to working with Indonesia to complete the next steps.
Speaking at this year’s leaders’ retreat, held in Singapore at the Istana, Lee said: “The three agreements on these longstanding issues will bring lasting benefits to both sides.
“The successful outcome reflects our strong bilateral relations, and shows that Singapore and Indonesia can gain substantial mutual benefits through open and constructive engagement.”
Last week, both countries sought approval from the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) to implement the arrangements under the flight information region agreement.
The agreement on airspace management is part of an expanded framework of three agreements that both countries concluded when Lee and Widodo met for the Singapore-Indonesia Leaders’ Retreat in Bintan, Indonesia, in 2022.
Once ICAO approves of the realignment, both countries will set a date for the three agreements to take effect simultaneously. The other two agreements are on defence cooperation and the extradition of fugitives.
It was previously reported that following the Bintan agreements, the Parliaments of both countries had ratified all of them, which opened the way to seeking ICAO’s approval.
On Thursday, Singapore and Indonesia also signed a slate of agreements to cooperate in areas such as energy, sustainability, health and human capital development.
Among the agreements is one that will establish the Singapore-Indonesia Tech-X Programme for young technology professionals from Singapore and Indonesia to work in each other’s countries for up to a year.
The tie-up will benefit professionals under 30 years old who had graduated from any of the six autonomous universities in Singapore, and those from 11 universities in Indonesia, such as the University of Indonesia and the Bandung Institute of Technology.
Another agreement commits both countries to work on cross-border electricity trading projects, and facilitates investments in Indonesia in renewable energy manufacturing, such as the production of solar cells and battery energy storage systems.
In all, six agreements were signed between the governments of both countries. They cover emerging areas such as the digital economy, sustainability and human capital development, and traditional areas such as security, health and finance.
There was also a joint update on the defence cooperation between both countries.
The retreat, the sixth between the two leaders, had started with a special ceremonial welcome for Widodo at the Istana.
A group of seven trumpeters from the Singapore Armed Forces Central Band played Fanfare For A Dignified Occasion, by composer Arthur Bliss, on the Indonesian President’s arrival at 11am.
Both leaders were accompanied by members of their Cabinets. Widodo had with him a high-level delegation comprising ministers and ministerial-ranked officials, while Lee’s delegation of 10 ministers included Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong and Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean.
At their meeting, Lee and Widodo discussed regional developments.
Lee said he had assured Widodo of Singapore’s full support for Indonesia’s Asean chairmanship and his priorities as Asean chair.
“We regret the lack of progress in Asean’s five-point consensus on the situation in Myanmar,” said Lee.
“Singapore will continue working with Indonesia and Asean members, plus Asean’s partners like the UN (United Nations), to push for the full implementation of the five-point consensus.”
