"I must say that the Indonesian people must acknowledge the fact that their government did its best to ensure their release."Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Philippines Foreign Affairs Minister Jose Rene D. Almendras has lauded the Indonesian governments efforts in securing the release of its citizens held hostage by the militant group Abu Sayyaf in South Philippines.
"We compliment the commitment of the Indonesian government, its personnel, Foreign Minister Retno (Marsudi), and President Joko Widodo in their efforts to secure the release of the hostages, and we have the privilege to work with them," Philippines Minister Almendras stated here on Wednesday.
Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi and Almendras released a joint press statement after holding a bilateral meeting at the Foreign Affairs Pancasila Building in Jakarta.
The 10 Indonesian hostages were released on Sunday (May 1) after being captured by the Abu Sayyaf militant group since March 26, 2016.
"I must say that the Indonesian people must acknowledge the fact that their government did its best to ensure their release. The efforts and initiatives taken during our collaboration with them had resulted in their release," Almendras noted.
The Philippines minister also underscored the Indonesian governments efforts to release the four other Indonesians who are still held by an unconfirmed yet armed group in the Philippines.
"We hope for the release of the other held hostages, but without the involvement of the Indonesian government and the proactive steps taken by Foreign Minister Retno and the president, a good result would not have been achieved," Almendras stated.
During the bilateral meeting, the two ministers discussed various areas of cooperation between Indonesia and the Philippines, such as the delimitation of the continental shelf boundary, economy, and trade.
The two ministers have agreed to hold a joint technical meeting on the delimitation of the continental shelf boundary to push for further negotiations.
The ministers underscored the importance of the relevant 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea provision, according to which the continental shelf between states with opposite or adjacent coasts shall be effected by an agreement on the basis of the international law in order to achieve an equitable solution.
The last negotiation related to the delimitation of the continental shelf boundary between Indonesia and the Philippines was held in Bali, Indonesia, on October 14, 2014. (*)
Reporter: Azizah Fitriyanti
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2016
