Ambassador: Japan is True Friend of Indonesia
Jakarta, MINA – The Japanese Ambassador to Indonesia, Kanasugi Kenji, said Japan, as a true friend of Indonesia, would continue to work hand in hand with Indonesia based on a “heart to heart” relationship, as the basic principle of the Fukuda Doctrine announced in 1977 which he said remained relevant until at the moment.
He conveyed that bilateral relations between Japan and Indonesia are getting closer, where in 2022 it was again an extraordinary year for relations between the two countries, despite the various challenges faced by the international community.
“Indonesia remains an indispensable partner for Japan and we are sure that Indonesia will continue to play an increasingly significant role in the international world,” Ambassador Kenji said at the 63rd Birthday Celebration of Japanese Emperor Naruhito in Jakarta on Thursday evening .
Naruhito was born in Tokyo on February 23, 1960. Naruhito is the 126th Emperor of Japan. He has been enthroned as emperor since October 22, 2019.
On this occasion, the Indonesian Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Arifin Tasrif was present as the guest of honor representing the Indonesian government, ASEAN Secretary General Kao Kim Hourn, Japanese Ambassador to ASEAN Kiya Masahiko, a number of national figures such as the 10th and 12th Vice Presidents of the Republic of Indonesia Jusuf Kalla, former Governor of DKI Jakarta Anies Baswedan and ambassadors from friendly countries.
In that context, Ambassador Kenji said, the Emperor and Empress of Japan had also resumed their face-to-face public activities after three years of the pandemic.
After being affected by the Covid-19 pandemic for so long, Ambassador Kenji was grateful to see that the flow of community recovery between Japan and Indonesia was getting better. Last January, the number of Indonesian visitors to Japan recovered by around 70% compared to January 2019.
“We hope that cooperative exchanges between citizens, which are the basis of our friendship, will be revived even more in the near future,” he said.
He also congratulated Indonesia on achieving a very successful G20 Presidency. “It is not surprising for us, because Japan has long believed in Indonesia’s important role in the global arena,” he said.
Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Arifin Tasrif expressed Indonesia’s hope to expand cooperation with Japan into new areas.
“I believe there are still many opportunities that can be achieved by the two countries. I hope we can explore and intensify new areas of cooperation,” said Arifin.
For Indonesia, he continued, Japan has always been an important partner on various issues, both at the bilateral and multilateral levels, and the two countries were able to explore and be involved in many areas of cooperation that benefited both countries.
The dynamic relations between Indonesia and Japan and their people also enable the two countries to realize world peace, stability and prosperity.
Japan, which is the third largest economy in the world based on gross domestic product (GDP), will continue to play a significant role in the global economy throughout 2022.
Japan is also the fourth largest economy by purchasing power parity as well as playing a role in the international community as a donor and a major source of global capital.
Closer Cooperation
In bilateral relations, Japan and Indonesia have worked very closely from top to bottom, as illustrated by last year’s reciprocal visits by Prime Minister Kishida to Jakarta in April 2022, and by President Joko Widodo to Tokyo in July 2022.
“One of our symbolic bilateral cooperation projects is MRT Jakarta. The MRT is highly appreciated because it has drastically changed the lifestyle of many Jakarta residents,” said Ambassador Kenji.
In June 2020, construction work began to extend the North-South line that was already in operation, and work on the Thamrin-Monas line extension has been nearly 50% completed even during the pandemic. The basic design of the central East-West line is also expected to be completed by the end of this month.
In this case, Ambassador Kenji said, Japanese cooperation would continue to make a major contribution to making people’s lives in Jakarta better.
Currently, there are around 2,000 Japanese companies operating in Indonesia. These companies have helped enrich the livelihoods of Indonesians in various sectors, from automotive, energy, decarbonization, construction, disaster prevention, to real estate and shopping centers.
According to Ambassador Kenji, apart from deepening economic ties, cooperation in the political and security fields is becoming increasingly important for the two countries as the two largest democracies located in the Indo-Pacific region, amidst an increasingly challenging geopolitical environment.
“Last year, defense exchanges between Japan and Indonesia underwent a major leap forward as illustrated by the Army’s participation for the first time in the Super Garuda Shield joint exercise,” he added.
This year will be a more important momentum for Japan and Indonesia, as it marks the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries and the 50th anniversary of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation.
“We also have many opportunities to work closely together this year in facing global and regional challenges, because Japan leads the G7 and Indonesia has become the President of ASEAN,” he concluded.
As stated in the slogan commemorating the 50th anniversary of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation, 2023 provides us with a Golden Opportunity. (T/RE1)
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
