Indonesia today said it wants talks with Malaysia to define a sea border off the coast of Borneo island to end a dispute over who owns the rights to lucrative oil and gas fields.

Foreign Minister Hasan Wirayuda said Indonesia wanted to arrange discussions during a December Asean meeting in Laos following objections to Jakarta's plan to exploit waters close to two islands it recently surrendered to Malaysia.

"Whether you like it or not, we have to sit down together and settle this martime border," Wirayuda told journalists.

Jakarta lost legal tussle

Indonesia in December 2002 lost a legal battle when the International Court of Justice awarded the islands of Sipadan and Ligitan, off Borneo, to Malaysia.

But a further dispute has erupted as Indonesia announced plans to explore two new oil and gas fields off the islands in waters claimed by both countries.

"Maritime boundaries cannot be settled unilaterally. Claims can be made but those claims would have not binding power," Wirayuda said.

Wirayuda said Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono would avoid the topic when he met Malaysian Prime Minister Ahmad Badawi at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Chile later this month.

But he hoped a meeting would be arranged while the two were attending the meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Laos.