Japan's Prime Minister Supports Indonesia to Become a Member of OECD

SEAToday.com, Jakarta - Japan's Prime Minister, Shigeru Ishiba, expressed his support for Indonesia's efforts to become a full member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which currently consists of 38 countries from various regions. Japan itself became a full member of the OECD in 1964, as the first Asia Pacific country to join.

“We agreed to enhance international cooperation, including supporting Indonesia's accession as an OECD member,” PM Ishiba said after meeting with President Prabowo Subianto at the Bogor Presidential Palace, West Java, on Saturday.

During his official visit, PM Ishiba was accompanied by his wife, Yoshiko Ishiba, and a Japanese government delegation. They were welcomed with an official ceremony including an honorary cannon blast. After a private meeting between PM Ishiba and President Prabowo, the discussion continued with a bilateral meeting at the Garuda Room, Presidential Palace.

The results of the bilateral discussion included Japan's support for Indonesia's priority programs, such as food and energy self-sufficiency, industrial downstreaming, defense capability building, and the provision of free nutritious food.

PM Ishiba sees this meeting as a valuable moment to strengthen relations between the two countries. “I will continue to work proactively to deepen cooperation between Japan and Indonesia,” he said.

At the end of the meeting, PM Ishiba also invited President Prabowo to attend Expo 2025 Osaka which will take place on Yumeshima Island, Osaka, from April 13 to October 13, 2025. The Expo is planned to showcase various cutting-edge technologies from various fields.