Coordinating Minister Luhut Pandjaitan Immediately Forms A Team For The Jakarta - Surabaya High Speed Rail Project

The Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train, which is planned to continue until Surabaya. (Between)

Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said he would immediately form a team for the Jakarta-Surabaya high-speed rail project after meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

"For the Jakarta 'Surabaya high-speed train, we agreed that a team would be formed immediately," said Luhut as monitored through his official Instagram account luhut.pandjaitan in Jakarta, Sunday.

Previously, Luhut had explained that in the last three months, the average passenger reached 15,000 passengers per day and continued to increase. At the peak of the Lebaran homecoming flow, there were 21,422 passengers, up 34 percent.

According to Luhut, this is clear evidence that the Jakarta 'Bandung high-speed rail project should be continued to Surabaya.

"We all agree that the task force formed can follow up on this strategic cooperation in the near future," he said.

That way, said Luhut continued, the mission between Indonesia and China in order to encourage community-based development in the future can be achieved together.

In addition to encouraging the sustainability of the high-speed rail project, Luhut also said that he would develop the Kuala Tanjung Port so that it could directly send containers out of the country.

"We are looking for a partner, Ningbo (Labuhan) is one of our partners, which we will play," said Luhut.

The port development is targeted by Luhut to show Indonesia's independence in international trade.

"There is no need to be a feer from Singapore," he said.

He made this statement regarding the results of the 4th Meeting of the RI's Dialogue and Cooperation Mechanism (HDCM) RRT in Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara, Friday (19/4).

In addition to cooperation in the transportation sector, Luhut also discussed cooperation in agriculture and maritime affairs.