During his presidential campaign, president-elect Prabowo Subianto emphasized his commitment to various policies. He also declared his determination to achieve Golden Indonesia 2045, which aims to transform Indonesia into a developed nation by 2045.

In April of this year, I accompanied president-elect Prabowo on his visit to Japan for discussions with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. In May, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Council adopted the accession road map for Indonesia's membership, which has been supported by Japan for about 10 years, under the chairpersonship of PM Kishida. We commend Indonesia’s courageous decision and believe that the implementation of domestic reforms for its accession to the OECD will be instrumental in driving Indonesia's development.

Now is an opportune moment for Japan and Indonesia to jointly outline ambitious targets for the further enhancement of bilateral relations. We are now discussing with all our partners the "Seven Targets Japan Achieves Together with Indonesia”, a proposal for a comprehensive cooperation framework drawing on our experience as a pioneer in addressing complex issues.

First, enrich rural life through food, healthcare and educational cooperation.

Japan has a century-long history of nutrition research focused on free nutritious meals for children. To foster children's growth through Shokuiku (food and nutrition education), we plan to invite Indonesian administrative officials to Japan this September for training.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has a proven track record of enhancing rice productivity in various countries worldwide and is currently aiding local food production through irrigation projects in Rentang and Komering. JICA is considering additional irrigation initiatives and is actively engaged in the field of food security.