Japan delegation visits Jakarta

INDONESIA: The secretary-general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) of Japan, Tsutomu Takebe, is heading a delegation to Jakarta for a two-day visit from Sunday to Monday.

Takebe, a member of the House of Representative and chairman of the Japan-Indonesia Parliamentarian League, will make a courtesy call to Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Vice President M. Jusuf Kalla on Monday morning to convey their condolences to the earthquake and tsunami victims in Aceh and North Sumatra.

The Japanese delegation, comprising mostly members of the party, also discuss economic matters with Coordinating Minister for the Economy Aburizal Bakrie on Monday afternoon.

Japan has pledged US$500 million in grants to tsunami-ravaged countries, including Indonesia. Assistance of $250 million will be channeled through relevant international organizations while the remaining half will be disbursed directly to each country. -- JP