Statement of President of the Republic of Indonesia H.E. Joko Widodo on Joint Press Statement with Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe on 15 January 2017, at the Bogor Presidential Palace, West Java
Unofficial English Translation
Your Excellency Prime Minister Shinzo Abe,
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen.
It is an honor for me this afternoon to receive the visit of the Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe at the Bogor Palace. Your Excellencys visit is the first visit of foreign leader to Indonesia in 2017. This certainly signals our commitment to continue improving the bilateral relations of the two countries.
Prime Minister Abe and I just had a bilateral meeting. The meeting was very warm, open, and productive. In less than two years, Your Excellency and I have hold bilateral meetings four times. This shows that Japan is one of the most important strategic partners for Indonesia in various fields.
In this meeting, Prime Minister Abe and I agreed to continue to enhance cooperation in politics, economics, maritime, and socio-cultural sectors. The efforts to improve such cooperation must indeed always be based on the principle of mutual benefit.
Amid the global economy which has yet to recover, we have noted a significant increase in Japanese investments. From January to September 2016, Japanese investment has reached USD4.498 billion, and this figure increased almost twice compared to that of 2015.
Some of the things that I discussed with Prime Minister Abe today include:
An agreement for cooperation in the context of the 2+2 Foreign Minister and Defence Minister of both countries will be held this year in Indonesia.
Indonesia has also requested that Japan be able to, first; open up access to the agricultural and fishery products of Indonesia; second, complete a review of an agreement of the avoidance of double taxation; third, increase access and capacity of Indonesias nursing to meet the Japanese market; and fourth, start the general review of Indonesia – Japan Economic Partnership Agreement this year.
Then, Indonesia also asks Japan to consider the plannings of enhanced air connectivity by opening the Garuda Indonesia flight route from Jakarta to Los Angeles via Tokyo.
We have also agreed to increase cooperation in the economic field, including, fisrt, the plan to develop the Patimban Seaport, second, development of the Masela Block, third, preliminary discussion regarding the construction of railway line connecting Jakarta and Surabaya, and also discussion of the cooperation plan of developing an integrated marine and fisheries center in the outermost islands of Indonesia.
Indonesia and Japan will be celebrating 60 years of diplomatic ties next year and we agreed that modern technologies would be the theme.
We also want to encourage Japan to improve maritime cooperation with member countries of IORA, for which Indonesia is the current Chair.
That is all I can say. Furthermore, I invite Your Excellency Prime Minister Abe to give a statement.
I thank you.
(PR Cabinet Secretariat) (MUR/YM/Naster).