Foreign ministers of Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore Tuesday concluded their talks on maritime security in Malacca Straits, with a stronger commitment to addressing the maritime security more comprehensively in the fight against piracy, armed robbery and terrorism.

In a joint statement, Hassan Wirajuda of Indonesia, Syed Hamid Albar of Malaysia and George Yeo of Singapore said that the three countries recognized the need to address the issue of smuggling of people, weapons and other trans-boundary crimes through appropriate mechanisms.

The meeting on Batam island, in western Indonesia, took response to the classification of the Malacca Straits as a risk zone for piracy and terrorism by the Lloyd's Market Association.

The three countries regretted Lloyds' categorization of the Straits of Malacca and Singapore as a high risk zone for piracy and terrorism "without consulting and taking into account the existing efforts of the littoral states to deal with the problems of safety of navigation and maritime security," said the joint statement.

The classification may increase shipping costs and insurance to vessels passing the world's busiest waterway.

Source: Xinhua