Indonesia, Malaysia Agree on Joint Development in Ambalat to Defuse Border Dispute
Main Takeaways
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JAKARTA, Investortrust.id — Indonesia and Malaysia have agreed to pursue a joint development strategy in the disputed Ambalat maritime area, President Prabowo Subianto announced on Friday. The move is aimed at advancing mutual economic interests while both sides await a longer-term legal resolution to the border dispute.
Speaking after a bilateral meeting at the State Palace in Jakarta with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, President Prabowo said both nations are committed to fair and mutually beneficial cooperation.
“We agreed to seek a win-win solution. In the case of Ambalat, while waiting for legal clarity, we want to initiate economic cooperation through a joint development mechanism,” Prabowo said.
The Ambalat block, located off the coast of East Kalimantan and Sabah, has long been a source of friction between the two Southeast Asian neighbors. However, the new approach seeks to shift focus toward shared resource exploitation, rather than territorial contestation.
Prabowo emphasized that any potential found in the maritime zone would be jointly explored and exploited “fairly and equitably,” stressing that the primary goal was to serve the interests of both nations’ populations.
He also reaffirmed Indonesia’s and Malaysia’s shared stance on promoting global peace efforts, welcoming the recent ceasefire between Israel and Iran.
“We hope this ceasefire leads to sustained peace. Indonesia and Malaysia remain committed to peaceful resolutions across all conflicts,” Prabowo said.
Prime Minister Anwar echoed the sentiment for cooperation and urgency, underscoring that legal processes for maritime border disputes could take decades.
“There are no obstacles to immediately pursuing economic cooperation, including through a joint development authority in Ambalat,” Anwar said. “Waiting for legal resolution could take 20 years. We must use the time we have to deliver tangible results for the people living in our border regions.”
High-Level Delegations
During the bilateral meeting, President Prabowo was accompanied by several top officials, including Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto, Foreign Minister Sugiono, Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, Investment Minister Rosan Roeslani, Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs Meutya Hafid, Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhana, State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi, and Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya. Their presence highlighted the broad governmental backing for the joint development initiative.
By pursuing this agreement, Indonesia and Malaysia are setting a precedent for resolving complex territorial issues through diplomacy and shared economic interests, while avoiding the pitfalls of prolonged litigation and regional tension.