The Trade Ministry pushed for market access for Indonesian products at the first 42nd Annual Meeting of the Council of the ASEAN–Japan Center (AJC).
“Indonesia appreciates the role of AJC in encouraging closer collaboration between ASEAN and Japan. The role of AJC can become more relevant, according to AJC’s reform program,” Director General for National Export Development at the Trade Ministry Didi Sumedi said in a written statement on Wednesday.
Indonesia, along with other ASEAN countries and Japan, took part in the first 42nd Annual Meeting of the AJC Council virtually to discuss AJC programs for the 2022–2025 period, or the AJC 5.0 medium-term strategic plan.
At the meeting, Indonesia expressed the hope that the trade, tourism, and investment promotion programs organized by AJC would encourage trade and investment growth between Indonesia and Japan.
Meanwhile, director of export development cooperation, Ni Made Ayu Marthini, said that Indonesia fully supports the ASEAN Digital Trade Promotion Program, which would be implemented in 2023.
The program will seek to promote ASEAN products in Japan using a single platform and will include the facilitation of online business matching and business contact.
“AJC 5.0 will be achieved through five goals, five strategies, and five opportunities that will focus on utilizing the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and sustainable trade, tourism, and investment,” Marthini, who is also the Representatives of Indonesia Council director, said.
The use of the RCEP is in line with the Ministry of Trade’s priority to encourage market access for Indonesian products in partner countries, including Japan, through a trade agreement, she added.
AJC is an intergovernmental organization established by ASEAN member countries and Japan in 1981. The main objective of its establishment was to promote trade between ASEAN member countries and Japan and investment from Japan in ASEAN.
The organization also aims to bolster tourism and people-exchange activities between ASEAN countries and Japan through seminars, workshops, capacity-building programs, research and policy analysis, cross-cultural events, publications, and information services.
Source: Antara News