Jakarta, July 7, 2026 – The Europe Today: Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Monday reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring that the Malacca Strait and the Singapore Strait remain safe, open, and accessible for international shipping in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The commitment was announced following the annual Indonesia-Singapore Leaders’ Retreat held at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta, where the two leaders addressed a joint press conference after their bilateral talks.
Prime Minister Wong said recent developments in the Middle East had underscored the strategic importance of the two vital maritime corridors, highlighting the need for continued cooperation to safeguard their security and guarantee uninterrupted international trade.
He noted that Indonesia and Singapore, as littoral states, share a common strategic interest in upholding freedom of navigation and ensuring that the Malacca Strait and Singapore Strait remain open for global maritime commerce in line with the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
“President Prabowo and I agreed to do our part, together with the other littoral states, to ensure that the Malacca Strait and the Singapore Strait remain safe, open, and accessible to all,” Wong said.
President Prabowo reaffirmed Indonesia’s commitment to preserving the Malacca Strait as a secure and open international shipping lane serving all nations. He emphasized that Indonesia and Singapore share a common interest in maintaining the waterway as a free and reliable route for international maritime transport.
The Indonesian leader observed that the challenges facing the strategically important strait now extend beyond piracy and maritime accidents to include environmental pollution, making closer regional cooperation increasingly important.
Prabowo added that Indonesia would continue working closely with Malaysia and Thailand, the other littoral states bordering the Malacca Strait, to ensure the waterway remains safe, secure, and accessible in accordance with the 1982 UNCLOS.
Linking the Indian and Pacific oceans, the Malacca Strait is one of the world’s busiest maritime chokepoints, carrying a significant share of global trade and energy shipments. Its continued security and uninterrupted accessibility are regarded as essential to regional stability and the smooth functioning of international commerce.
