KUALA LUMPUR, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia and Indonesia have agreed in principle to conduct aerial patrol along their common land border, local media reported on Monday.

    The move was made at a joint committee meeting chaired by Malaysian Defense Forces Chief Gen. Abdul Aziz Zainal and Indonesian armed forces chief Gen. Djoko Santoso on Monday in Kuching, capital of the Sarawak State in East Malaysia.

    Abdul Aziz said that the "Eye in the Sky" aerial patrol carried out by Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore, three littoral states of the Malacca Straits, had drastically reduced the incidence of piracy and robbery in the waterway and restored confidence in navigation.

    So far this year, there has not been a single report of piracy in the Straits," he said.

    In this connection, the armed forces of Malaysia and Indonesia have agreed in principle to extend the aerial patrol, with the use of helicopters, along the countries' common land border, he told reporters after the Malaysia-Indonesia High Level Committee meeting there.

    Abdul Aziz said Malaysia and Indonesia were fine-tuning the plan before it would be implemented.

    In September 2005, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore started the "Eye in the Sky" aerial patrol as a bid to fight piracy and robbery in the Malacca Straits, with Thailand participating in it as an observer at the initial stage.