Malaysia to continue sending protest notes on oil dispute: Report
Saturday, November 20 2004 - 01:54 AM WIB
The notes would be sent despite news reports that Indonesia's national oil company Pertamina had awarded exploration contracts for the two blocks - Block ND6 and Block ND7 - located between 100km and 150km offshore Tawau, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said.
"We will continue to do that because we are the claimant of the area and the area should not be awarded to anyone," he told a media conference here on Thursday.
A foreign wire report said recently that Pertamina had awarded oil and gas exploration works for an area, known as the East Ambalat Block, that clearly falls within the two blocks to US-based Unocal Corporation.
The East Ambalat Block is an extension of the Ambalat Block, which incidentally is also said to have encroached onto Malaysian territory, specifically Block ND6.
Malaysia's national oil corporation Petronas also has plans to develop the two new blocks. Syed Hamid said he believed the issue could be resolved through discussion.
"We hope that Indonesia will take the position of discussing rather than going through proceedings," he said, adding that if the issue were to go to court it could create problems.
To a question, he said it was possible that the overlapping claims would also be discussed at next month's meeting of the Malaysia-Indonesia Joint Border Committee in Jakarta.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Razak is expected to represent Malaysia at the meeting. He is also expected to meet President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
Syed Hamid also extended his congratulations to Condoleeza Rice, former national security adviser to US President George W. Bush, on her appointment as US Secretary of State.
"I take this opportunity to congratulate Rice who will succeed Colin Powell as the Secretary of State," he said. (*)