Indonesia to ratify South China Sea deal with Vietnam in April

Indonesia is expected to ratify an agreement with Vietnam on the demarcation of their exclusive economic zones (EEZs) next month, settling a decade-long dispute involving overlapping waters, Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto said.

Jakarta and Hanoi reached an agreement on the boundaries of the EEZs in December 2022 after 12 years of negotiations. They had been locked in disputes over overlapping claims in waters surrounding the Natuna Islands in the South China Sea.

For the agreement to take effect, it must be ratified by both of their parliaments.

“We hope that our parliament will ratify it in April, after Eid al-Fitr, and their legislature is also expected to ratify it soon,” Prabowo told Vietnamese leader To Lam, who visited Jakarta this week.

Vietnam and Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim country by population, elevated bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership during Lam’s visit, reflecting their closer cooperation.

Prabowo also said that he planned a reciprocal state visit to Vietnam soon, when he would sign an implementing agreement with his Vietnamese hosts, adding that he was confident that the deal would “bring prosperity to both our peoples.”

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Clear demarcation of maritime zones

The shared waters north and east of the Natuna islands saw intense confrontations between the law enforcement agencies of both Vietnam and Indonesia over the activities of Vietnamese fishermen. Indonesia accused them of unlawful encroachment and illegal fishing before detaining destroying dozens of fishing boats.

The two countries began negotiating on EEZ delimitation in 2010 and were engaged in more than a dozen rounds of talks before reaching an agreement.

An EEZ gives a state exclusive access to the natural resources in the waters and seabed. A clear demarcation would help avoid misunderstanding and mismanagement, said Vietnamese South China Sea researcher Dinh Kim Phuc.

“The promised ratification of the agreement on EEZs sends a positive signal from both security and economic perspectives,” Phuc said. “Among the latest achievements in the bilateral relations, this in my opinion is the most important one.”

“It will also serve as a valuable precedent for ASEAN countries to settle maritime disputes between them via peaceful means,” the researcher said.

I Made Andi Arsana, a maritime law specialist at Gadjah Mada University, said the agreement clarifies fishing rights in the South China Sea.

“With a clear EEZ boundary, cross-border management and law enforcement become more straightforward,” Arsana said. “Before this, both countries had their own claims, making it hard to determine whether a fishing vessel had crossed the line. Now, with a legally recognized boundary, it’s easier to enforce regulations and address violations.”

He likened the situation to dealing with a neighbor without a fence.

“It’s difficult to say whether they’ve trespassed or taken something from your property,” he said.

“But once the boundary is set, we can confidently determine whether someone is fishing illegally in our waters.”

China has yet to comment on the Indonesian president’s statement. Both Vietnam’s and Indonesia’s EEZs lie within the “nine-dash line” that Beijing prints on its maps to demarcate its “historical rights” over almost 90% of the South China Sea.

Pizaro Gozali Idrus in Jakarta contributed to this report.