SINGAPORE, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore on Tuesday reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining the Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS) as free, open and safe international shipping lanes.
At the 17th Co-operation Forum held in Singapore, the littoral states affirmed the status of the SOMS as a Strait Used for International Navigation, where the right of transit passage applies, as enshrined in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and reflected in customary international law, according to a joint statement.
"They underscored the importance of respecting navigational rights and freedoms both in principle and practice," said Indonesia's Directorate General of Sea Transportation, the Malaysia Marine Department and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore.
The states also reaffirmed the important roles played by user states, international organizations, the maritime industry and other stakeholders in sharing responsibility for and contributing to the safety of navigation and environmental protection in the SOMS. ■
