Jakarta (ANTARA) – Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi has departed for a two-day visit to Japan from February 28 to March 1, 2023, in a bid to bolster cooperation in the transportation sector.During his work visit, the minister will conduct several meetings with government officials and business actors in Japan. “Indonesia and Japan have well-established bilateral relations,” the minister noted through his official statement, Monday. “I will meet with Special Adviser to the Prime Minister, Masafumi Mori, and a number of people from JICA, Toyota Tsusho Corporation, JBIC, Marubeni and other business actors in Japan,” he revealed. He expects this brief visit to bring positive impacts in pursuit of deepening cooperation between both nations, especially in the transportation sector. The minister is also scheduled to meet the invitation of Keidanren, one of the biggest trade associations in Japan that holds the Japan-Indonesia Economic Committee of the Keidanren Event. Moreover, Sumadi will serve as key speaker at the business forum, with attendees also comprising business actors serving as the forum’s members. During his visit to Japan, he is also scheduled to witness the signing of a loan agreement for development of the proving ground for the Bekasi Motorized Vehicle Roadworthiness Testing and Certification Center (BPLJSKB). The agreement was inked between a consortium of project winners: Indonesia International Automotive Proving Ground (IIAPG) and Governor of Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC). The international-standard proving ground project is one of the priority projects for which the countries have collaborated, and it is targeted to start in 2023. The facility is expected to boost national automotive competitiveness, improve the safety aspect of motorized vehicles, support realization of the electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem, and drive efforts to reduce vehicular emissions in Indonesia. In addition to the proving ground, several transportation infrastructure projects will also be discussed during the work visit, including Patimban Harbor and continuation of the Jakarta MRT and Jakarta-Surabaya semi-rapid train development project. baca-jugaRelated news: andgtovt intensifies preparations for 2023 Eid homecoming, return movementRelated news: Jakarta continues to improve public transportation quantity, quality

Source: Antara News Agency