The Japanese envoy was welcomed by Biak Numfor regional secretary Johanis Than MM and some other local officials at the grass house of the Biak Regent.
Johanis Than hoped the Japanese ambassador`s working visit to Biak on Wednesday (Oct. 5) could establish cooperation, including in education for the local civil service.
"The Biak Numfor regency administration positively hailed the Japanese ambassador`s working visit hoping it would be followed up with the establishment of bilateral relations," Johanis Than said.
In the meantime, Yoshinori Katori through his interpreter Ayako Masuda said the aim of their visit is to get acquainted with the condition and situation of Biak regency, develop cooperation in the economy, politics and culture.
"The relations between Japan and the Papua administration and Biak Numfor regency are very important," Yoshinori hoped.
In the meantime, chairman of Biak legislative assembly Nehemia Wospakrik said many Japanese officials in Indonesia had already made working visits to Biak Numfor regency, but none have established concrete cooperation programs with the regency administration and people of Biak.
"The local legislative assembly said many Japanese officials had often made working visits there but none of them had established concrete cooperation or contributed to Biak Numfor regency," the local legislative chairman Nehemia Wospakrik said.
He meanwhile hoped the Japanese government could give concrete assistance to the Biak regency administration and people so that the cooperation between the two sides would be beneficial to the interest of the people in the region.
In Biak, the Japanese ambassador and an entourage will visit several schools in Biak, inspect the famous Japanese cave, Second World War monuments, and several popular places and parks of recreation in Biak and surroundings.
(T.M039/H-NG/S012)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
