JAKARTA (TheInsiderStories) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi), at a bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Ise-Shima, discussed a cooperation plan to develop Patimban seaport in West Java. President Widodo was in Japan last Thursday and Friday to attend a Group of Seven (G-7) Summit on invitation of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Jokowi has designated the Transportation Minister Ignasius Jonan to play a role as the focal point to follow up on the seaport project cooperation plan. President also offers the northern Java railway upgrade project to Japan, smoothing over the last minute snubbing of the East Asian country last year after China was selected to complete Indonesia’s first fast train project.
Under the proposal, the government plans to straighten up some of the railway’s sinuous sections and elevate some of the railway crossings over roads in order to allow trains to reach and maintain top speeds of 150 kilometers per hour. Currently, trains rarely reach 100 km per hour.
This will allow travel across the 725 km track between Jakarta and Surabaya to be cut from the current nine hours to below five. It remains unclear if the northern Java railway upgrade project will provide such a guarantee.
The two leaders also discussed other crucial issues including the efforts to intensify economic cooperation between Indonesia and Japan.
“We highly laud the presence and contribution of Indonesia as the largest nation in the ASEAN during the G-7 Outreach Summit,” Abe stated at the meeting held on the sidelines of the summit.
PM Abe expressed his hope that the automotive tariff issue will be addressed soon.
The automotive tariff issue could be dealt along with the issue of market access for fishery, agricultural, and horticultural products (R and Q category) as one package, President Jokowi affirmed.
The leaders also touched on cooperation for the development of a power project in Batang, Central Java, and a plan to construct a trans-northern Java railway line.
The meeting between Jokowi and Abe was the fourth of its kind to be held in less than two years, thereby reflecting the two nations commitment to boosting bilateral ties.
The trade balance between Indonesia and Japan in 2015 reached US$31.27 billion, constituting exports valued at $18.01 billion and imports at $13.26 billion.
Japan is ranked third among the list of major countries investing in Indonesia, with total investment worth $2.87 billion spread across 2,030 projects.
Indonesia had also received 486,687 Japanese tourists in 2014.
Sri Lanka
In the first day of his visit to Japan to attend the G-7 meeting, President Widodo also held bilateral with President of Sri Lanka Maithripala Sirisena, and received the courtesy call of Gubernor of Aichi Prefecture, Hideaki Ohmura, at Nagoya Kanko Hotel, on Thursday night (May 26).
Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said the two leaders discussed various issues including efforts to boost cooperation in trade and investment. She said both Indonesia and Sri Lanka are among founders of the Asia-Africa Conference as well as active members of Non-Block Movement. Both countries could build up the relations on this stronger ground.
During the meeting, President Widodo expressed his hope to take part in Sri Lanka’s development by offering train carriages and related products. Indonesia is also willing to cooperate in other sectors.
In addition, President said Indonesia is currently chairman of IORA (Indian Ocean Rim Association) for period of 2015-2017. Indonesia together with its IORA members are currently drafting an IORA Concord. Indonesia appreciates if Sri Lanka also supports and takes part in the drafting the IORA Concord, said Retno. (*)