The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and the Directorate General of Sea Transportation (DGST), Ministry of Transportation, Republic of Indonesia, have renewed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to advance the training and development of government officers in the maritime field for another two years.

In a joint statement, MPA and DGST said this renewal marks two decades of collaboration between the two entities.

It added that since the partnership began in 2005, over 120 programmes and workshops have been organised, benefiting over 1800 officials.

These programmes and workshops have, amongst others, contributed to the effective implementation of International Maritime Organization (IMO) conventions to enhance navigational safety and marine environmental protection in the region, as well as equipped senior officers with the knowledge to deal with new challenges that the industry is facing.

"The extension of the MOU marks a significant milestone in the strong partnership between MPA and DGST and underscores the close ties between Indonesia and Singapore," said Teo Eng Dih, chief executive of MPA.

"MPA reaffirms our shared commitment to deepen our longstanding bilateral maritime cooperation and looks forward to our further collaboration," he added.

Capt Antoni Priadi, director general of Sea Transportation, DGST, noted that the extension of this MoU shows not only good cooperation but also a strong collaboration between DGST and MPA, which will continue to run in accordance with developments in the maritime world to ensure the safety of navigation and marine environment protection.