Indonesian President Joko Widodo met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on April 23 on the sidelines of the Asian-African Conference (AAC) in Indonesia to discuss the future of their cooperation under agreements reached during Widodo’s visit to Japan in March.

The two leaders agreed on the implementation of Japan’s plans to boost its investment into Indonesia in infrastructure, transportation, maritime, and energy.

Widodo said he hoped the two nations would continue the negotiation on Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (P3B) so as to increase capital flows and that the financing scheme for the 140 million Yen Calimaya and Shinkansen railway projects that have been agreed can begin shortly.

He also expected that Japanese investors, such as Toyota, Suzuki and Mitsui, will soon start their projects in Indonesia.

Both leaders were delighted at the visit of representatives of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry to Indonesia in early April to foster partnerships between the two countries’ businesses.

During the visit, the two sides signed several trade agreements, including the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on trade cooperation between the Indonesian Ministry of Trade and the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) and the other on investment promotion between the Indonesia Investment Coordinating Board and the JETRO.

Japan is among Indonesia’s largest economic partners and third biggest trade partner after China and Singapore with bilateral trade hitting 40.17 billion USD in 2014.

Japan’s investment to the partner reached 2.7 billion USD last year, making it the second largest investor, only after Singapore.-VNA