President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) conveyed the request for maintaining peace in the Indo-Pacific region during a bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the Presidential Palace here on Friday.
"I stress the importance of building strategic trust in the region," the President said at a press conference with PM Kishida after their meeting, which was broadcast live on the Presidential Secretariat’s YouTube channel.
Jokowi emphasized that Indonesia and other ASEAN countries are ready to cooperate with their partners, especially in the maritime sector, on connectivity, the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as well as trade and investment.
During the same meeting, the leaders also discussed the situation in Myanmar.
"I stress the importance of the cooperation between ASEAN and Japan to ensure that the ASEAN Five-Point Consensus can be implemented," Jokowi said.
Earlier, at the Ministerial Forum for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific in Paris on February 22, 2022, Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi had said that competition in the Indo-Pacific region is inevitable.
However, the competition must continue to run in a healthy manner and in accordance with international law to prevent open conflicts, she added.
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"For Indonesia, the Indo-Pacific is a sea of opportunity that is too great to be dominated by one country," Marsudi said.
President Jokowi welcomed the state visit of PM Kishida on Friday. He received Kishida and Japanese delegates with several Onward Indonesia Cabinet ministers, including Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi; Minister of State Secretary, Pratikno; Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto; Minister of Trade, Muhammad Lutfi; and Minister of Transportation, Budi Karya Sumadi.
Indonesia is the first country PM Kishida is visiting as part of his visit agenda in Southeast Asia. He is scheduled to lay a wreath at the Kalibata Heroes Cemetery in Jakarta on Saturday (April 30, 2022).
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Translator: Gilang G, Kenzu T
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2022
