JP\/ \/<\/p>\n
Message from the Ambassador:
\n\"Think Together, Walk Together\"<\/p>\n
Today, Japan celebrates its national day. Opening this special
\nsupplement is an interview with Yukio Takeuchi, the Japanese
\nambassador to Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Question: What impressions do you have as you look back at the
\nnine months that have passed since your arrival in Indonesia?<\/p>\n
Quite a lot. First, I am really impressed by the warm,
\nfriendly sentiments shown by Indonesians towards Japan. As for
\nthe vicissitudes in the political field, I see that the elections
\nfor President and Vice-President were held in a peaceful way,
\nwith the transfer of political power taking place without any
\nconfusion.<\/p>\n
It is, in my opinion, an indication of the progress so far
\nmade for the sake of democracy in Indonesia. I understand that
\nmore efforts are necessary to implement various forms of reform,
\ni.e. solving regional problems, achieving economic recovery,
\nenforcing the rule of law, eradicating KKN (corruption, collusion
\nand nepotism), etc.<\/p>\n
What kind of relationship between Indonesia and Japan is
\ndesirable?<\/p>\n
As for Japan, the peace and prosperity of Indonesia -- a large
\ncountry with more than 200 million people -- is very important
\nfor the peace and prosperity of the whole Asia-Pacific region. As
\nfellow Asian friends, the two countries share common values, and
\nhold out benefits for each other. For that reason, Japan is
\nendeavoring to expand and deepen the friendly relationship of
\ncooperation with Indonesia which has been maintained for quite a
\nlong time up to the present day.<\/p>\n
A true partner in building peace and prosperity in Indonesia
\nas part of the quest for peace, democracy prosperity, Japan will
\nextend any assistance that it can. The important thing in
\npromoting friendly and cooperative relations is, I think, the
\nspirit of \"Think together, walk together\" (Berpikir bersama,
\nberjalan bersama\"). We assure you that Japan will not impose its
\nown way of thinking upon Indonesia.<\/p>\n
As the Ambassador of Japan, what do you regard as being important
\nin promoting the Japan-Indonesia relationship? Particularly in
\nthe economic field, what do you think?<\/p>\n
For the present in Indonesia, the implementation of reform in
\nvarious fields so as to bring about economic recovery and
\neradicate poverty, and the further development of democracy are
\nthe most important issues. As for me, I will do my best to
\nsupport the efforts made by the Indonesian government and people
\nin coping with such issues.<\/p>\n
First, in the economic field, increased employment is very
\nimportant for eradicating poverty. Investment is therefore
\nnecessary to enhance employment opportunities and to elevate the
\nincome level of the people. Japan is the largest investor in
\nIndonesia. Political stability is the most important factor for
\nthe smooth running of Japanese enterprises operating in Indonesia
\nand, further, for the expansion of investment.<\/p>\n
And then, a set of reforms are necessary to make the
\nenvironment more conducive for attracting investment. These
\nreforms include consistent economic policies, law enforcement as
\nthe result of reform of the legal system, the eradication of KKN,
\netc. I think establishing stable labor-management relations are
\nnecessary for the expansion of investment. We have been
\ncollaborating on this matter with the Indonesian government and
\nlabor unions.<\/p>\n
As for the eradication of poverty, priority should be given to
\nelementary and middle school education. In this respect, the
\nfollowing matters are worth emphasizing.<\/p>\n
Japan now finds itself in a difficult financial and economic
\nsituation. In spite of that, Japan is providing economic and
\ntechnical cooperation for Indonesia, in the best possible way, to
\nhelp Indonesia's efforts to achieve self-reliance. Moreover, as
\nto the inevitable problem of Indonesia's accumulated debt, the
\nJapanese government has clearly notified its willingness to
\nassist Indonesia within the Paris Club framework.<\/p>\n
What do you think about democratization in Indonesia?<\/p>\n
Japan attaches importance to cooperation for the further
\ndevelopment of democratization. As a friend, Japan is providing
\nassistance for so-called governance reform. In this regard, Japan
\nis also closely collaborating with Indonesian NGOs. To accelerate
\nreform leading to democratization, it would be advisable for the
\nIndonesian people to strive to the utmost to deal with such
\nproblems as law reform and the eradication of KKN.<\/p>\n
I observe that nowadays Indonesia enjoys wide-ranging freedom
\nof information, really something marvelous. This will contribute
\nto enhancing political transparency, and transparency in
\nadministration and the legal system. It would delight me to see
\nIndonesian leaders convey their visions and policies quickly and
\naccurately to the common people, taking advantage of the freedom
\nof the press.<\/p>\n
The mass media, for their part, as standard bearers of
\ndemocratization, should deliver news and information with a sense
\nof responsibility. The Japanese Embassy would like to see the
\nIndonesian people being informed about real things concerning
\nJapan, and receiving accurate information about Japanese policy
\nvis-a-vis Indonesia, including about economic and technical
\ncooperation. We are endeavoring to ensure that news is provided
\nin a positive way.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, the House of Representatives (DPR) should assume
\nthe most important role and bear the responsibility of upholding
\ndemocratic politics by way of exercising supervision over
\nlegislation and the administration. The Japanese Embassy actively
\nexchanges information and views with the members of the House,
\nwho play such an important role. For example, for the first time
\nthis year, we have begun to provide explanations about Japanese -
\nIndonesian cooperative relations to House members.<\/p>\n
Could you please give some concrete examples of Japanese economic
\ncooperation with Indonesia ?<\/p>\n
As a whole, Japanese economic cooperation with Indonesia
\nmanifests itself in many fields in the form of loans and grants,
\nand technical cooperation.<\/p>\n
For example, to build an environment which is conducive to
\nattracting stable flows of private investment from foreign
\ncountries, it is important that the administration and legal
\nsystem run according to the laws. This must be based on political
\nstability and security, and proper law enforcement. In this
\nrespect, Japan is actively cooperating and has sent experts on
\nlegal reform, regional autonomy, etc., and accepted Indonesian
\ntrainees. Furthermore, it is also worth mentioning here that
\nsmall and medium enterprises have been playing an indispensable
\nrole in providing employment.<\/p>\n
As small and medium enterprises constitute one of the pillars
\nof the industrial base in the country, they are essential for
\neconomic recovery and the eradication of poverty in Indonesia.
\nFor such purposes, Japan is providing cooperation which consists
\nof various assistance schemes, especially the completed Urata
\nReport.<\/p>\n
Social stability plays an important role in promoting food
\nself-sufficiency and increasing harvests. That is why efforts
\nhave been and are continuing to be made for cooperation in
\nfarming, while we are also giving assistance for the preservation
\nof forests and the undertaking of afforestation programs.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, to remove the bottlenecks hampering economic
\nrecovery, we have been providing assistance in the form of yen
\nloans for building roads for transportation and industrial use,
\nas well as consolidating social infrastructure in the regions. At
\nthe same time, we are considering providing effective assistance
\nalso in the field of energy, such as electricity and gas, and in
\nIT.<\/p>\n
Moreover, in fields that are directly and closely related to
\nthe lives of the Indonesian people, such as basic education,
\nhealth and hygiene, various activities are taking place under
\ngrant assistance schemes for the strengthening of schools and
\nhospitals. These include the distribution of mother and child
\nhealth report books with the help of experts from Japan.<\/p>\n
Japan also frequently extends humanitarian emergency
\nassistance, which includes the dispatch of medical teams and the
\nprovision of food, medicines, tents, etc., to the victims of
\nnatural disasters such as earthquakes and floods, and to refugees
\nfleeing areas of conflict.<\/p>\n
Besides cooperation at the government-to-government level,
\nJapan is doing its utmost to hold dialogs and cooperate with
\nNGOs. For example, under the grassroots grant assistance scheme,
\nassistance has been given to NGOs engaged in work in Indonesia
\nand to Indonesian regional administrations. In fiscal year 2000,
\nassistance was given to 30 projects with the total amount
\ninvolved being US$2 million; in fiscal year 2001, 10 projects
\nwere involved with the total amount being $700,000.<\/p>\n
Although at present Japan is also gripped by economic and
\nfinancial difficulties and is conducting \"Reform without
\nSanctuary\" -- while Indonesia itself is facing multifarious
\ndifficulties -- yet as fellow Asian friend, Japan will continue
\nto engage in positive cooperation in so far as possible.<\/p>\n
Speaking about economic cooperation, how does Japan see the
\noutcome of the CGI meeting which was held last August?<\/p>\n
Efforts are being earnestly made to bring about economic
\nrecovery. The recent CGI meeting was an opportunity for the
\ninternational community to announce its intention of assisting
\nIndonesia in its efforts to achieve economic recovery. It was
\ndecided at the meeting what financial assistance for fiscal 2002
\nwould be provided. The donor countries have, accordingly,
\nindicated their strong hope that the reform efforts in Indonesia
\ncan proceed<\/p>\n
Japan, despite the prevailing difficult financial situation,
\nhas declared its intention of extending the greatest assistance
\npossible, up to $7 billion, to cover the financing gap. With debt
\nrescheduling and the disbursement of the approved assistance
\nincluded, the whole amount will cover one third of the overall
\nfinancing gap.<\/p>\n
Any new developments in respect of cultural exchange programs
\nbetween the two countries ?<\/p>\n
The Art Summit Indonesia is held every year and involves the
\nparticipation of artists from many countries. This year's was the
\nthird in which Japan participated. We had three art troupes
\ncoming over and these were warmly welcomed by the spectators.
\nHowever, I am not yet satisfied with the present cultural
\nexchange situation between our two countries. We should make more
\nefforts geared towards deeper mutual understanding through
\ncultural exchange. Cultural exchange activities should be further
\ndeveloped, particularly by the Japan Foundation in Jakarta and
\nother organizations.<\/p>\n
Regarding personnel exchange, the number of Indonesian
\nstudents studying in Japan is increasing from year to year. At
\npresent, more than 1,300 Indonesian students study in Japan every
\nyear. I am happy to observe that those who return home after
\ncompleting their studies are very active in various fields. We
\nare trying to make it possible for many talented Indonesian
\nstudents and researchers to study in Japan<\/p>\n
Ambassador, you usually describe the Japan-Indonesia relationship
\nas a \"Partnership of thinking together, walking together\". What
\ndo you mean by that ?
\nI think it is important for Japan to extend its hand to assist
\nIndonesia in the best possible way as Indonesia is endeavoring to
\nbuild a democratic and prosperous nation while maintaining its
\nunity in diversity. Both countries could work hand in hand so as
\nto achieve common aims. The Japanese people feel a close affinity
\nwith and respect for the Indonesian people and their culture.
\nWithout such feelings of affinity and respect, no cooperative
\nrelationship could be built. Furthermore, both countries also
\nshare common interests. For that reason, I am convinced that what
\nis good for Indonesia is also good for Japan, and what is good
\nfor Japan is also good for Indonesia. In such a Japan - Indonesia
\nrelationship, Japan will certainly not impose its own way of
\nthinking in assisting the efforts being made to bring about
\neconomic recovery and implement various reforms in Indonesia.
\nBeing true partners, it is cooperation between two friends who
\n\"Think together, and walk together\".<\/p>\n
Indonesia is now passing through a period of transition during
\nwhich it has to face many challenges. I keep on imploring the
\nIndonesian people to pull together, and to brace themselves to
\naptly face the challenges in order to achieve political
\nstability, economic development and the advancement of
\ndemocratization.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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