Asean Ministers Sign MoU On Goods Transportation

Manado, North Sulawesi - Four ASEAN transport ministers here Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on goods transportation within their region, Indonesia`s news agency Antara reported.

Indonesian Transport Minister Jusman Syafii Djamal said that the MoU would serve as a legal umbrella for goods transportation among signatory countries from Brunei to Indonesia through Malaysia or vice versa from Malaysia to Indonesia or to Brunei.

“This would serve as a legal umbrella. Later it would be decided which lanes that would be passed on by goods both from land and the sea,” Antara quoted the minister as saying.

The MoU was signed during the 4th BIMP EAGA (Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines-East ASEAN Growth Area) Conference in Kalasey, Minahasa, North Sulawesi.

Ministers signing the MoU were Jusman Syafii Djamal of Indonesia, Pehin Abubakar Apong of Brunei Darussalam, Annely Loncoc of the Philippines and Datuk Abdullah Rahim Bakri of Malaysia.

With the Philippines, Indonesia specifically agreed the sending of goods with Roro (roll-on-roll off) ships through Bitung in North Sulawesi to General Santos, the Philippines.

Besides signing the MoU, the ASEAN ministers visited Bitung to have a close look at the container port and fishery industries in the port city.

They were welcomed by Bitung Mayor Hanny Sondakh and general manager of PT Pelayaran Indonesia (Pelindo).

Bitung Regional Government spokesman Erwin Kontu said that the ASEAN ministers` visit to Bitung was to explore Bitung`s potentials that could be developed, adding that Brunei was interested in the Bitung fishery sector.

The conference in Minahasa (North Sulawesi) is expected to provide an opportunity for the BIMP-EAGA countries to exchange views and information concerning the status of transport infrastructure facilities and progress in logistics services with the aim of streamlining cooperation.

Source: http://bernama.com (25 June 2009)
Photo: http://www.aseanaffairs.com

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