MANILA, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines and Indonesia have agreed to cooperate and intensify their fight against illegal trading in the region, the Philippine government said on Monday.

In a statement, the Philippine Department of Finance (DOF) said the Philippines and Indonesia have vowed to heighten their partnership and cooperation in combatting smuggling, so as to help shepherd the Association of Southeast Asian Nations' (ASEAN) efforts to fight against illicit cross-border trade.

The DOF said Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez and Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati have instructed their respective customs agencies to discuss ways of enhancing their cooperation on this front.

Both finance chiefs have also instructed their customs officials to explore joint anti-smuggling campaigns between these two countries, the DOF added.