Indonesia, Japan must work closely on N Korean issue: Kono

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono emphasized that Indonesia and Japan need to work closely on North Korean issues. He made the remark in relation to Indonesia's position as the non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2019-2020 period.

"Regarding North Korea, we reaffirm our commitment to the strict implementation of the UN Security Resolution and to press North Korea for complete, verifiable, and irreversible dismantling of all weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles of all ranges," Kono said to the press after a meeting with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi in Jakarta on Monday.

During the bilateral meeting, both ministers welcomed the positive developments following the summit meetings between North Korea and South Korea as well as between North Korea and the US recently, which is expected to forge lasting peace and stability in the region.

Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi (right) shakes hands with her Japanese counterpart Taro Kono to hold the 6th Indonesia-Japan Strategic Dialogue in Jakarta on Monday.

A historical meeting between North Korea Leader Kim Jong-un and South Korea President Moon Jae-in during the Inter-Korean Summit, last April, has resulted in a number of positive outcomes listed on the Panmunjom Declaration. According to the declaration, both leaders agreed to work together to end the Korean War and Korean conflict and to begin a new era of peace, reconciliation, prosperity, and improvements in inter-Korean relations.

Just recently, Kim had another important meeting with US President Donald Trump in Singapore, which resulted in a joint statement signed by the two on the "completed denuclearization" of the Korean Peninsula.

In addition to the Korean issue, Japan and Indonesia will also work together on the issue of South China Sea. Kono and Marsudi expressed concern with the recent militarization in the South China Sea and further hoped that the negotiation for an effective Code of Conduct (CoC) can be concluded as early as possible.

Both ministers will also attend the Third Ministerial Meeting of the Conference on Cooperation among East Asian Countries for Palestinian Development (CEAPAD) on June 26 and 27, 2018, in Bangkok, Thailand, to actively contribute to the socio-economic development and capacity building of Palestine.

Lastly, the two ministers agreed to coordinate and seek synergy between Japan¿s free and open Indo-Pacific Strategy and Indonesia¿s Global Maritime Fulcrum Vision.

"I am looking forward to work together with Marsudi, not only for bilateral issues, but also for stability and prosperity of our region and the world," Kono stated.

On the occasion, Marsudi specifically thanked Japan for its support for Indonesia's election as a non-permanent member of the UNSC. "Indonesia will use its time in the Security Council to contribute towards Asia Pacific ecosystem of peace and prosperity," she added.

According to her, Indonesia and Japan are not just strategic partner but are also two important strategic countries in the region. Our partnership contributes not only to the prosperity of the people of the Indonesia and Japan but also to regional peace, stability, and prosperity, Marsudi concluded.