Philippines, Indonesia sign energy cooperation pact

By Anadolu staff

The Philippines and Indonesia on Wednesday signed an agreement on energy cooperation and also agreed to strengthen their ties in defense, security and trade.

This came as Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his Indonesian counterpart Joko Widodo met in Manila, said a statement from the Filipino presidency.

On Tuesday, the Indonesian president arrived in Manila on a three-day official visit.

“As neighbors, we must remain united in addressing the many challenges that our region now faces,” Marcos said.

The memorandum of understanding on energy cooperation will "create a new synergy between the Philippines and Indonesia as the two countries cooperate to achieve energy security," the Philippine president said.

“I’m delighted about positive progress about implementation of our two countries’ action plan which needs to be followed up with concrete steps to strengthen collaboration,” Widodo added.

The Indonesian president also welcomed the strengthening of cooperation on border security but said: "There are issues that need to be resolved."

These include the need to expedite the Revision of Border Crossing Agreement and Border Patrol Agreement of 1975, and the discussion on the settlement of continental boundaries.

Widodo also sought Marcos’ support for the Philippines’ purchase of new warfare aircraft for the Philippine Navy from Indonesia, according to the statement.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid