Balakrishnan was accompanied Singaporean Ambassador to Indonesia Anil Kumar Nayar, the Singaporean Foreign Affairs Ministry's Director General for Southeast Asia Ian Mak, and Assistant to the Ministry's Director for Indonesian Affairs Nicholas Koh.
During talks with Balakrishnan, Jokowi, accompanied by Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno L. P. Marsudi, emphasized that Indonesia and Singapore will continue to intensify bilateral cooperation.
Balakrishnan is on a working visit to Indonesia on July 16-18, 2019.
On Tuesday, Marsudi and Balakrishnan held a meeting in which the discussions covered Indonesia's plan to take over control of its Flight Information Region (FIR) over Riau and Natuna islands.
Marsudi remarked that Indonesia and Singapore are under negotiation to take control of the FIR over Riau and Natuna islands from the neighboring country.
Progress had been achieved in the negotiations and now concerned technical aspects, the minister remarked after the meeting with Balakrishnan in Jakarta on Tuesday.
"We just discussed everything comprehensively. However, once again, I could not reveal anything, as it has not become an agreement," she revealed.
Indonesia's Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi has submitted a proposal to Singapore to take forward discussions on the matter.
Indonesia had also negotiated with Malaysia to take over control of the FIR over Riau and Natuna islands.
She expounded that the taking over of FIR did not have anything to do with Indonesia's sovereignty, as the FIR concerns flight traffic management.
Indonesia is currently capable of managing its aviation security, she emphasized.
Negotiations, centering on FIR control, had been conducted since last year in line with President Joko Widodo's directive and are expected to conclude in 2019.
Earlier, on Tuesday, Balakrishnan had met with Minister of Industry Airlangga Hartarto over lunch. The ministers welcomed the robust collaboration between Singapore and Indonesia in broad-ranging areas, including investments, vocational and technical education, and human resource development.
Translator: Joko Susilo, Fardah
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2019
