A senior Indonesian diplomat has said dialogue among Asean members must continue despite a dispute between Jakarta and Singapore over smoke haze, the South China Morning Post reports. Relations between the two neighbours have been strained after wildfires in Indonesia covered Singapore in polluted air for months, and Singapore's complaints drew sharp responses from Indonesian officials.
Singapore's foreign minister, Vivian Balakrishnan, visited Jakarta last week, but tensions have continued, overshadowing upcoming meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Manila. Asked whether the bloc remained united, Ina Hagniningtyas Krisnamurthi, director general for Asean co-operation at Indonesia's foreign ministry, said diplomacy was a continuous process and that talks between members should carry on.
Source: South China Morning Post