Japan, Indonesia agree to boost strategic partnership+

TOKYO, Feb. 18 Kyodo -
Japan and Indonesia agreed Friday to boost their strategic partnership to
secure common interests in the Asian region as the two countries held their
first ministerial strategic dialogue in Tokyo.
Visiting Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa met with his Japanese
counterpart Seiji Maehara and Prime Minister Naoto Kan and reaffirmed the two
countries' intention to enhance political, economic and security cooperation.
Kan expressed his anticipation that Indonesia will exert leadership this year
as the rotating chair of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations
and that Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will visit Japan,
according to Maehara.
Natalegawa asked Kan to make a trip to Indonesia before the ASEAN summit talks
slated for October, the foreign minister said.
The premier also welcomed a joint anti-disaster drill scheduled for March by
the two countries and other members of the ASEAN Regional Forum, Japanese
officials said.
Following the strategic dialogue, Maehara and Natalegawa jointly met the press
and said they agreed to cooperate to address regional and global challenges.
Maehara said the two discussed situations in the Middle East, Myanmar, North
Korea and border skirmishes involving Thailand and Cambodia, as well as
territorial disputes in the South China Sea between China and Southeast Asian
countries.
==Kyodo