The historic agreement between the Philippines and Indonesia that establishes the boundary of their exclusive economic zones (EEZs) took effect on Thursday after two decades of negotiations, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said. Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. and his Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi signed the Protocols of Exchange of the instruments of ratification concerning the delimitation of the EEZ between the two countries on the sidelines of the 52nd ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting in Bangkok, Thailand. “The agreement is expected to benefit both countries, economically and politically, by promoting more bilateral cooperation in the EEZ in order to advance the common interest of managing and preserving the resources in the EEZ and further strengthening maritime security cooperation between the two countries,” the DFA said in a statement late Thursday.

Flores, H. (2019, August 3). Phl-Indonesia sea border pact takes effect. The Philippine Star, p. 10.