RI, Japan sign economic partnership agreement in Tokyo

Tokyo (ANTARA News) - Indonesian and Japanese delegations have signed the final draft of an economic partnership agreement marking the end of negotiations they had since June 20, 2007.

The Indonesian delegation in the negotiations held at the Japanese foreign ministry building in Tokyo, was headed by Soemadi Brotodiningrat, while the Japanese delegation included Japanese deputy foreign minister for economic affairs Masaharu Kohno.

The Indonesian delegation also includes special staff of the Ministry of Trade Halida Mujani.

The signed record of discussions will be brought to the legal scrabbing stage for turning it into a legal document.

"Only after the legal form of the cooperation agreement had been in place, the document will be brought to Jakarta," the senior diplomat said.

Masaharu Kohno on a different occasion said that Indonesia is very important to Japan, and the economic cooperation between the two countries needs to be maintained and expanded.

Before being taken to Jakarta, the document will first go to through the internal procedures stage which will last less than two months, and later to be signed by the heads of state of the two countries, respectively Japanese Prime Minister Shinoz Abe and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhyono at a meeting scheduled in August 2007.