Widodo: Border security cooperation with PH still needs to be improved

MANILA, Philippines — Jakarta and Manila have agreed on stronger border cooperation, but Indonesian President Joko Widodo believes there are still matters that need to be addressed.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. welcomed Widodo to Malacañan Palace on Wednesday where the two held a bilateral meeting that covered several topics, including defense and border control.

“I welcome the strengthening of cooperation on border security, including through joint patrols, but there are many things that still need to be improved,” said Widodo during their meeting.

One of the points Widodo brought up was the need to revise the 1975 border agreement between Indonesia and the Philippines, which regulates the border crossing between the two countries. Widodo has long pushed for a revision of the said agreement, making the same statement during the term of former President Benigno Aquino III.

In a later joint statement with Marcos, Widodo said that the two had reached a verbal agreement on border control after their meeting. 

“We have agreed to strengthen border cooperation, and I have conveyed the importance of accelerating the revisions of the border patrol agreement and border crossing agreement, the settlement of continental shelf boundaries, and the strengthening of defense cooperation, including defense equipment,” said Widodo.

However, no agreements were signed by Marcos, Widodo, or their respective defense ministers during the meeting.

Marcos said that he and Widodo also discussed matters of the South China Sea, but did not further divulge other details

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