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apan and Indonesia have officially unveiled the details of Project 2045, a three-pronged partnership platform for a collaboration on political, economic and social issues that was launched as part of the 60th anniversary of Indonesia-Japan ties.

A high-level seminar was held on Saturday in Jakarta in which a report of Project 2045 was handed to Vice President Jusuf Kalla.

The event was also attended by Japanese parliament members Fukui Teru and Ito Tadahiko, Japanese Environment Deputy Minister Akimoto Tsukasa and National Development Planning Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro.

Project 2045’s announcement caps off a busy year for the two countries that are celebrating the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties this year.

Japanese and Indonesian experts had drafted a report that contains a list of recommendations on how to best promote cooperation under the project.

The report disclosed that in the partnership, the programs would be divided based on political, economic and social fields.

In the political sector, both countries aimed at holding a ministerial-level multilateral forum to promote free and safe shipping routes and flights in the Indo-Pacific region, as well as establish trilateral cooperation with countries in the Middle East, Africa and South Pacific.

Tokyo also pledged to support the soon-to-be flagship Indonesia International Islamic University, currently being built in line with the Indonesian government’s objective of being a role model for promoting peaceful Islam.

In regard to the economic field, the two countries promised to “promote free trade”, enhance joint research on strategies in expanding Indonesia’s exported and imported products, as well as infrastructure development, according to the report.

Meanwhile, programs under the social affairs pillar include the drafting of a master plan on smart city development and on-site trials in select cities in Indonesia’s outermost islands.

Kalla took the opportunity at Saturday’s event to propose a periodic review of the programs under Project 2045 so the partnership’s aims could be reached properly.

“The year 2045 will be completely different than today. Therefore, I suggest that there should be a periodic review [for any] necessary adjustments,” he was quoted by Antara news agency as saying on Saturday, in his speech of an event that was also held to mark the 10th anniversary of the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia.

He further said that through Project 2045, Indonesia and Japan could prepare a bright future for the people of both countries. The programs are also projected to give Indonesia and Japan a more prominent role in development on the global scale.

With a periodic review toward the 2045 Project programs, existing cooperation between Indonesia and Japan could be adjusted to fit and overcome recent challenges of global economic and political developments, the elderly statesman said.

On the same occasion, Bambang said Indonesia’s economy was expected to equal Japan’s by 2045, putting it on a course to become the fifth largest economy in the world. To achieve the goal, he said, Indonesia would have to work together with Japan in all fields.

“In 2045, Indonesia and Japan will be together in the top five world economies. It means that the center of economic activity will be in Asia. Therefore, Indonesia and Japan need to strengthen cooperation, especially in the manufacturing industry,” the minister said.

Japan has the third largest economy this year at US$5.1 trillion, but it is expected to fall to eighth place by 2050, professional services firm PricewaterhouseCoopers predicted in a report. In the same report, Indonesia is expected to climb up the ladder of G20 member countries to fourth place with an economy of $10.5 trillion.

In addition to the manufacturing industry, the minister said Indonesia and Japan needed to collaborate on the environment, which includes climate change and disaster management.

Japanese Ambassador to Indonesia Massafumi Ishii said his country would continue to advance ties with Indonesia so that their shared values, including the protection of human rights and support for a free market economy, could be passed down to and continued by younger generations.