RI, Japan to finalize negotiations on EPA
Jakarta Post, Indonesia
RI, Japan to finalize negotiations on EPA
19 June 2007
TOKYO (Antara): Indonesia and Japan finalized their negotiations on an economic partnership agreement, which is scheduled to be signed by the two heads of states next August, an Indonesian diplomat said.
"The Indonesian economic team is ready to negotiate the final stage of the agreement," Indonesian ambassador to Japan Jusuf Anwar told Antara news agency here on Tuesday.
He said the team was scheduled to arrive in Tokyo on Wednesday, led by senior diplomat and former Indonesian ambassador to Japan Sumadi Brotodiningrat and trade minister’s special staff for international cooperation Halida Mijani.
The 10-member team will join the economic team of the Indonesian embassy here.
Jusuf said the negotiations were expected to complete within five days.
The final draft of the agreement would later be formulated into an official agreement for signing by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in Jakarta in August.
For Indonesia, the EPA was expected to bring benefit in a number of sectors such as agriculture, trade, investment and energy. For Japan side it was expected to help ensure energy supply from the Southeast Asian region.
