JAKARTA - President Prabowo Subianto and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi agreed to strengthen economic and security cooperation in a meeting in Tokyo on Tuesday. According to Kyodo News quoted Tuesday, March 31, the two leaders also agreed on the situation in the Middle East, which is now shaking the energy supply and pushing up world oil prices.
The agreement is important for both parties. For Japan, Indonesia is seen as a key partner in Southeast Asia. For Indonesia, Japan remains one of the main partners amid an increasingly uncertain regional and global situation.
In a joint press statement after the meeting, Takaichi said Japan would help Indonesia prepare human resources in the field of artificial intelligence and strengthen maritime security capabilities. He called Japan and Indonesia strategic partners who had long built close relations.
Prabowo, still according to Kyodo News, called the Indonesia-Japan relationship a good example for other countries. He also said that the two countries needed to walk together in the midst of a risky international situation. In his statement, Prabowo emphasized Indonesia's desire to help promote de-escalation, referring to the conflict in the Middle East.
This issue is not small. The war triggered by the United States and Israel's attack on Iran late last month has created great uncertainty in the Asian energy market. Oil supplies from the region are disrupted, especially because the Strait of Hormuz, an important world oil shipping route, is effectively blocked by Iranian forces.
For Japan, the pressure is huge. The country gets almost all of its crude oil needs from imports, and more than 90 percent come from the Middle East. Indonesia is not as dependent on Japan, but still takes about 20 to 25 percent of its oil supply from the region.
According to Kyodo News, Tokyo also sees cooperation between Japan and Indonesia as an important part of the vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific, amid China's increasing military and economic influence in the region. In recent years, the two countries have strengthened defense cooperation through Japanese official security assistance and joint military exercises.
Prabowo arrived in Tokyo on Sunday for a three-day visit. On Monday, he met with Emperor Naruhito and Crown Prince Fumihito.
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