Vietnam and Indonesia will set up a hotline to handle emerging incidents at sea as agreed during a visit to Indonesia by Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Vu Van Tam.

Under a joint statement, which was made at a Vietnam-Indonesia meeting on cooperation in fisheries and seafood development during the visit, both sides admitted existing problems, including illegal fishing and territorial encroachment and agreed not to let these issues affect the bilateral ties.

The two sides agreed to compile a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on bilateral collaboration in fisheries and seafood. The MoU will be signed in mid-September 2016 on the occasion of a business forum in Jakarta, Indonesia. 

Vietnam also invited Indonesian Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Susi Pudjiastuti to visit the country in late October 2016. 

The joint statement said 109 Vietnamese fishermen are now being detained by Indonesia. The Indonesian Government is making every effort to repatriate the fishermen, who will return home by Indonesia’s patrol ships instead of by air routes as is the norm at present. 

During his stay in Indonesia from August 17-18, Tam also attended a multilateral meeting on developing partnerships in fisheries and seafood on Indonesia’s Natuna island, between Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. 

On the island, the deputy minister and his entourage also attended the celebration of Indonesia’s 71 st Independence Day and visited construction sites of plants in service of the local fishing sector.

VNA