'Important for cool heads to prevail', says Vivian as ASEAN neighbours tackle haze issue

JAKARTA — Singapore Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan has called for "cool heads to prevail" as Singapore and Indonesia work together to tackle the long-running regional haze problem.Speaking to reporters in Jakarta on Wednesday (Oct 28), he said differences in priorities and approaches were to be expected, but both countries needed to maintain open communication and seek constructive solutions."Precisely at a moment like this, it's important for cool heads to prevail, for direct, honest, candid, constructive conversations to be had, and for us to look for a collective approach."Dr Balakrishnan noted that haze has been a problem in Southeast Asia for nearly three decades, adding: "That's far too long, and we do need to find solutions."And in the case of Singapore, we are also exploring enhancing our legislative policy tools to keep companies accountable and to make sure that everyone does what they need to do.