Japanese Ambassador bids farewell to VP

Jakarta-wapresri.go.id Vice President Jusuf Kalla received a farewell visit by Japanese Ambassador to Indonesia Yasuaki Tanizaki at his office on Jalan Merdeka Utara, Monday (March 27).

Ambassador Tanizaki will conclude his service in Indonesia this late March after serving for about two and a half years since he first presented his credentials to President Yudhoyono on October 13, 2014.

“Cooperation between Indonesia and Japan showed an increase and I am pleased to report that,” Tanizaki told the media after his meeting with the Vice President.

Tanizaki said, in the field of economy, Japan’s direct investment to Indonesia has significantly increased to up to more than USD5 billion.

Indonesia and Japan, he added, also has agreed to cooperate in the development of the Patimban Port and the Jakarta-Surabaya Fast Train. Development of the outer islands, he continued, such as Natuna, Sabang, and Morotai, has also become a new partnership that is being studied.

In addition, he said, the number of tourists from Indonesia to Japan has increased significantly in the last two year from 200 thousand to 250 thousand tourists.

Tanizaki further said, next year will be the 60^th anniversary of Indonesia-Japan cooperation, and both countries are preparing a variety of events to commemorate it.

The highlight of Indonesia-Japan bilateral relations marked by the visit of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to Indonesia last January. Tanizaki noted that the meeting between President Jokowi and Abe held at the Bogor Palace was considerably meaningful.

Tanizaki also told the media that during the meeting, the Vice President considered that Indonesia-Japan bilateral relationship is very important. The Vice President then underscored the cooperation between both countries needs to be immediately realized, especially in the field of human resources development.

The Vice President, he said, also reminded that in the implementation of the cooperation, it is not only the use of the right technology that should be taken into account but also safety and environmental impact.

Accompanying Ambassador Tanizaki in the meeting were Head of Political Section of the Embassy of Japan in Indonesia Takonai, and Secretary of the Political Section III Sunohara; while the Vice President was accompanied by the Head of the Secretariat of the Vice President Mohamad Oemar.