REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, BANDUNG -- The governments of West Java Province and Japan's Shizuoka Prefecture explored strategic cooperation, including collaboration between the Mount Fuji Shizuoka Airport and Kertajati West Java International Airport (BIJB) in Majalengka District.
"The cooperation includes the starting of a direct flight route and the shipment of cargo between Kertajati and Shizuoka," West Java Governor Ahmad Heryawan stated in a press release received here on Tuesday.
Heryawan received a courtesy call from Shizouka Prefectural Deputy Governor Takashi Namba at the Pakuan State Building on Monday. A meeting between the board of directors of BIJB and Garuda Indonesia Airlines was also held.
He explained that the Shizuoka deputy governor's visit to West Java was a reciprocal gesture in response to West Java governor and his delegation's visit in November 2017 for the signing of a joint agreement between West Java Province and Shizouka Prefecture in the fields of economy and human resource development.
"Cooperation activities that have been implemented included participation of the Shizuoka Prefectural Government in the West Java Eco Marathon event in Pangalengan, Bandung District, in October 2017," he noted.
Moreover, the cooperation included sending internship participants from West Java to the Shizuoka Prefectural Government office and participation in a food expo event organized by the Shizuoka Prefecture.
"Furthermore, cooperation between universities will be initiated by involving the Faculty of Nursing of Padjadjaran University and Faculty of Nursing of Shizuoka University," he remarked.
In addition, cooperation in the economic field, covering the tourism, trade, and investment sectors, has the potential to be developed jointly by both parties.
During the visit, Namba pointed out that Shizuoka Prefecture had interesting natural tourism characteristics similar to West Java.
Namba paid great attention to mango, a local fruit of West Java, as the residents of Shizuoka City located in the warm Pacific Ocean were fond of the typical local fruit of Indramayu-Majalengka.
Meanwhile, in terms of capacity building of human resources in West Java, Heryawan urged the Shizuoka government to offer opportunities to transfer knowledge in various fields.
He expressed hope that companies in Shizuoka would open employment opportunities to exploit the potential of the quality and quantity of West Java's human resources.
Coffee diplomacy
On the same occasion, Heryawan brewed specialty coffee for Namba. The coffee is produced in Mount Waringin Pangalengan and is one of West Java's coffee varieties known worldwide.
"The coffee is very rich in taste," Namba stated.
According to Heryawan, the coffee has a strong, winey aroma.
"While drinking the coffee, you will sense a slight fruity taste, with a moderate acidity, which can be sensed across your palate and at the end, a sweet sensation is experienced," he explained.
He noted that during the meeting, West Java Province and Shizuoka Prefecture of Japan had reaffirmed their commitment to cooperating in various fields.
The memorandum of understanding on sister province cooperation between Shizuoka and West Java was signed in Hamamatsu in November 2017.
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