Middle East Conflict Pushes Up Oil Prices; Indonesia and Singapore Vow to Keep Strait of Malacca Open

(Central News Agency, Jakarta, July 6, Combined News Agencies) Indonesia and Singapore vowed today that the vital Southeast Asian oil transport route, the Strait of Malacca, will remain "passable" even if Iran imposes fees on vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

According to Agence France-Presse, the Strait of Malacca is surrounded by Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), it is the busiest maritime chokepoint for oil transportation in the world.

According to the latest data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, more than 23 million barrels of oil per day passed through the Strait of Malacca in the first half of last year, accounting for about 29% of the total maritime oil traffic.

As Middle East conflicts push up oil prices and put pressure on Southeast Asian economies, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto discussed related issues with Singaporean Prime Minister Wong Shing-tsai during their meeting in Jakarta today.

Prabowo stated that Indonesia and Singapore intend to maintain free passage through the Strait of Malacca. He pointed out, "We will continue to coordinate with Malaysia and Thailand to ensure that the Strait of Malacca is always open, safe, and passable for all countries."

Wong Shing-tsai mentioned that Singapore and Indonesia are committed to upholding the freedom of navigation and passage rights stipulated by the "United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea" (UNCLOS), and that the strait must be "kept safe, open, and passable for all." (Compiled by Chen Cheng-chien) 1150706

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