Indonesia's Vice Minister of Trade, Jerry Sambuaga, lauded the strong bilateral ties between Indonesia and Japan across various regional and multilateral platforms. The bilateral trade volume between the two countries reached USD 37.3 billion in 2023, highlighting the robust partnership. Jerry stressed the importance of continuing Indonesia-Japan cooperation, particularly in strategic national projects such as infrastructure development and human resource enhancement. This sentiment was conveyed during his meeting with Japan's Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI), Ken Saito, in Paris, France, alongside Minister of Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto during the OECD Ministerial Meeting. Emphasizing the significance of human resource development (HRD) to leverage Indonesia's demographic dividend, especially in the digital sector, Jerry underscored Japan's expertise in nurturing digital talent and industries, offering potential benefits for Indonesia.
Additionally, Jerry expressed hope for Japan's support for Indonesia's accession to the OECD, which would provide another international platform for collaboration. He anticipated a robust partnership fostering mutual understanding, respect, and cooperation between the two countries. Furthermore, Jerry discussed the anticipated signing of amendments to the Indonesia-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (IJEPA) before the third quarter of the year. Legal aspects of the protocol are under review, aiming to expedite the legal process for its completion and subsequent signing by both countries' leaders. Moreover, Indonesia and Japan have formed a joint bilateral task force for implementing the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) since September 2023. Comprising ministries, government agencies, Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), and experts, this task force aims to support Indonesia in achieving carbon emission reduction targets and Japan's goal of achieving zero emissions in Asia. Jerry concluded by expressing the expectation for Japan's sustained support in implementing AZEC projects under this task force, facilitating Indonesia's emission reduction goals and Japan's regional emission objectives.
