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Jokowi, Abe pledge to strengthen bilateral ties
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President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo (left) and Japanese Prime Minister converse on Jan. 15 at the Bogor Presidential Palace in West Java. (Pool/MI/Panca Syurkani)
P
resident Joko “Jokowi” Widodo expressed his intention to strengthen bilateral ties between Indonesia and Japan to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during the latter’s maiden visit to the country on Sunday.
In his opening remarks prior to a closed-door bilateral meeting between Indonesian and Japanese delegates at the Bogor Presidential Palace in West Java, President Jokowi highlighted the importance of strengthening relations between the two countries, particularly in the economic sector.
“I have met with Prime Minister Abe six times in the past two years and this shows how important the relations between Indonesia and Japan are,” he said, adding that the two would also discuss global economic developments during the closed-door meeting.
“For Indonesia, Japan is a strategic partner, especially in the economic, trade and investment sector.”
(Read also: Indonesia sees Japan as model for infrastructure development)
Japan is currently the second largest foreign investor in the country, with investment reaching US$4.5 billion during the first nine months of 2016. This is almost double the $2.87 billion recorded in the previous year.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Abe also expressed Japan’s interest in enhancing partnerships and exchanging views on various issues.
“I would like to, with President Joko [Widodo], increase our cooperation in various sectors and exchange thoughts on various challenges. Furthermore, I would like to encourage more cooperation between both countries,” he said. (hwa)
