Invited by Sjafrie to Bali, Japanese Defence Minister: I Got to Know Indonesia's Culinary and Cultural Riches
Jakarta - Japanese Defence Minister Koizumi Shinjiro stated that he gained a deeper understanding of Indonesia’s culinary and traditional cultural riches after being invited to Bali by Indonesian Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin. This was because Sjafrie hosted an official dinner with Shinjiro in Bali on Sunday night (3/5/2026), prior to their bilateral meeting and the signing of a defence cooperation agreement on Monday (4/5/2026). “Personally, in that short time, I was able to learn more about Indonesia’s culinary and traditional cultural wealth,” Shinjiro said at the Indonesian Ministry of Defence in Central Jakarta on Monday (4/5/2026). “At the same time, it strengthened our friendship amid the extraordinary natural beauty,” he added. He noted that cooperation with Indonesia has developed very quickly and openly. He even assessed that not many Japanese partners have such intense communication in such a short time. “Since our first meeting in Malaysia last November, Minister Sjafrie and I have held meetings in Tokyo as well, telephone discussions, and even met at Narita Airport another month,” said Shinjiro. “Not many partners build communication as close and as open as this in such a short period,” he added. According to him, Sjafrie provided strong support for that idea. “At that time, Mr Minister Sjafrie proposed the preparation of a Defence Cooperation Arrangement as a major compass that will guide the direction of defence cooperation between the two countries in the future,” he emphasised. According to him, today’s cooperation agreement serves as an important milestone in the defence relations between Indonesia and Japan. Shinjiro also touched on the increasingly complex global situation, including tensions in Iran. After the signing, he plans to discuss further concrete steps for cooperation with Sjafrie, ranging from maritime security, joint exercises, to the development of defence equipment and technology.