Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian government and the governments of Malaysia, Singapore, and Japan are attending a meeting in Singapore from April 26 to April 27 to discuss maritime safety in the straits of Malacca and Singapore.
The 3rd Extraordinary Session of Implementation Committee Meeting on the Joint Hydrographic Survey of the Straits of Malacca and Singapore is organized by Malacca Strait Council (MSC) and aims to discuss the implementation of improvement of maritime safety in the Malacca and Singapore Straits.
At the meeting, the Indonesian delegation, comprising representatives of the Directorate General of Sea Transportation of the Transportation Ministry and the Indonesian Navy Hydro-Oceanographic Center (Pushidrosal), is led by the ministry's Head of Signs and Workshops Sub-directorate Yudhonur Setyaji.
Setyaji, in a written statement received on Thursday, stated that one of the essential agendas to be discussed at the meeting is the ASEAN Hydrographic Survey Workshop that is scheduled to be held in September 2023 in Jakarta and will be attended by Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi.
The joint hydrographic survey of the straits of Malacca and Singapore is divided into two phases. The first phase is the implementation of a hydrographic survey in five critical areas of the Malacca and Singapore Straits that was carried out in 2015.
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Meanwhile, the second phase is a hydrographic survey conducted along the traffic separation scheme (TSS), which has a depth of less than 30 meters. The second phase was carried out from 2017 to 2020, which was then extended to 2023 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Setyaji, the joint hydrographic survey project is an important initiative to improve navigational safety and protect the marine environment in the Malacca and Singapore Straits.
"By carrying out this survey, we can obtain accurate and up-to-date information on the condition of the seabed and water depth in the Malacca and Singapore Straits, which is, of course, crucial for the implementation of safe navigation, port management, and marine environment protection," he expounded.
To this end, he expressed optimism that the meeting can provide opportunities for all involved parties to exchange ideas, share experiences, and discuss ways forward for the joint hydrographic survey.
"I believe our cooperation can generate real benefits for navigational safety and the marine environment protection in Malacca and Singapore Straits," he remarked.
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