JAKARTA, INDONESIA (BNO NEWS) -- The governments of Indonesia and Vietnam on Wednesday agreed to set up a joint sea patrol as several Asian nations continue to fight for the control of disputed waters.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, who arrived in Jakarta on Tuesday on an official two-day visit to Indonesia, said both countries had agreed to create the joint sea patrol and open communications between both of the countries' navies, the Jakarta Globe reported.

Meanwhile, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said the agreement would benefit both countries as the agreement covers other problems as well, such as illegal fishing. According to reports, around Rp 30 trillion ($3.5 billion) is lost each year in Indonesian economy due to illegal fishing.

In addition, both countries agreed to boost their trade to $5.5 billion by 2015, an increase of more than $2 billion compared to $3.3 billion in 2010.

Different parts of the South China Sea, many of them overlapping, is being claimed by China, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. China claims the larger part of the mineral-rich region.

On November 4, 2002, during the Eighth ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, the Declaration on the Conduct in the South China Sea was signed by China and other ASEAN member countries. But despite this, the implementation is still in its early stages.

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