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Ma'ruf Amin in Japan for Abe's funeral
In a statement released before his meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Ma'ruf said that Japan continued to be an important partner for Indonesia and that his presence at Abe's funeral would be further proof of those close ties.
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Indonesian Vice President Ma'ruf Amin (left) and Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida shake hands prior to the Japan-Indonesia bilateral meeting at Akasaka Palace State Guest House in Tokyo, on Sept. 26. Ma'ruf Amin is on a diplomatic mission to Japan, which includes attending the state funeral for former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that will be held on Sept. 27, in the capital of Japan. (Reuters/ David Mareuil/Pool )
V
ice President Ma'ruf Amin kicked off his visit to Japan on Tuesday on a diplomatic mission that included the 79-year-old Muslim cleric attending the funeral of slain Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe.
In a statement released before his meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Ma'ruf said that Japan continued to be an important partner for Indonesia and that his presence at Abe's funeral would be further proof of those close ties.
"I am ready to join the funeral of former prime minister Shinzo Abe. I have been assigned [by President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo] to attend because Japan is an important partner to Indonesia, especially on the economy," Ma'ruf said in a statement made available on Tuesday.
Ma'ruf also added that Abe was one of the key figures in Japanese politics that had contributed to the strengthening of ties between Indonesia and Japan.
"Because of [his role] the ties have become strategic and have improved to another level, bringing people of both countries closer together," he said.
Ma'ruf is one of many dignitaries who have joined the funeral of Abe and have also met with Kishida for bilateral talks.
On Monday, Kishida met with Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca, International Energy Agency executive director Fatih Birol and other leaders.
For three days through Wednesday, Kishida is slated to hold talks with about 40 foreign dignitaries, including Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck Soo and International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, Kyodo News reported.
Japan expects to spend around 1.7 billion yen (US$12 million) on the state funeral for Abe, despite controversy over the plan.
Abe was shot dead on the campaign trail in July, and the government expects dozens of current and former heads of state to pay condolences at the Sept. 27 service in Tokyo.
But recent polls show about half of Japanese voters oppose the publicly funded event.
