Indonesia and Vietnam to seal maritime deal – will China respond?

Indonesia and Vietnam are set to formalise their sea boundaries after more than a decade of negotiations in a deal that could strengthen regional maritime security and curb illegal fishing but may lead to friction with China over its territorial claims.

President Prabowo Subianto last week announced plans to ratify the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) delimitation agreement with Vietnam next month. The agreement is designed to end disputes over the resource-rich waters surrounding the North Natuna Sea in the South China Sea.

The time frame was revealed by Prabowo during a visit by Vietnam’s Communist Party General Secretary To Lam to Jakarta.

“We hope that ratification by the Indonesian parliament will be completed in April after Eid, while the Vietnamese legislature can also complete the ratification soon,” Prabowo said in the presidential palace on March 10. Prabowo added he hoped to sign the agreement during his state visit to Hanoi.

The date of Prabowo’s visit has yet to be arranged by both countries.

The deal on the EEZ was an “important” achievement as it took 12 years to conclude, he said. Jakarta and Hanoi first reached an agreement on the EEZ boundaries in December 2022.