TOKYO (AP): President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will visit Japan in late November, Japan’s Foreign Ministry said Tuesday, as the two countries work toward reaching a free trade agreement.
Yudhoyono is expected to meet Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, as well as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during his Nov. 26-29 visit, the ministry said in a statement.
The statement provided no more details about the president’s visit, which comes as the two countries work to conclude negotiations toward a free trade deal that began in July 2005.
After the latest round of talks in Tokyo earlier this month, the Foreign Ministry said the two countries made progress in areas including goods and services and investment rules, but that negotiations were still needed in other areas such as energy.
The two countries have been looking into ways to ensure a stable supply of energy from Indonesia, which Japan relies upon for about one-third of its natural gas needs, ministry official Yuichi Watanabe said.
The countries hope to reach an agreement in principle during November, Kyodo News agency reported at the time, citing unidentified Japanese officials. (**)
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