Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Bima Arya Sugiarto said the meeting would be held once the schedule is agreed upon between Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian and Governor Manaf.
"The meeting has been planned, but we are still working to align the schedules of the minister and the governor," Sugiarto told ANTARA here on Tuesday.
The Deputy Minister said he could not yet provide an estimate of when the meeting would take place. "Let’s just wait," he added.
The issue of administrative boundary disputes between Aceh and North Sumatra, ongoing since 1928, has resurfaced following differing claims of management over four islands located in the border area between the two provinces.
Meanwhile, Ministerial Decree No. 300.2.2-2138 of 2025 stipulates that the four islands, Lipan Island, Panjang Island, Mangkir Ketek Island, and Mangkir Gadang Island, fall under the administrative territory of North Sumatra Province, specifically Central Tapanuli District, which borders directly with Aceh Singkil District.
This policy has sparked differing views from both Aceh and North Sumatra provincial governments, each claiming historical and administrative ties to the islands.
Related to this, the Aceh Provincial Government prepared a joint agreement document signed in 1992 between the Aceh and North Sumatra governments to be presented at the meeting with the Home Ministry regarding the disputed ownership of the four islands.
The 1992 joint agreement between the two provinces states that the ownership status of the four islands falls under Aceh.
The 1992 agreement was signed by then-Aceh Governor Ibrahim Hasan and then-North Sumatra Governor Raja Inal Siregar, and was witnessed by then-Minister of Home Affairs Rudini.
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Translator: Fianda, Kenzu
Editor: Primayanti
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