Indonesia, Japan to start reciprocal business travels amid pandemic

Indonesian President Joko Widodo (2nd R) meets with visiting Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga (2nd L) at the presidential palace in Bogor, West Java province, Indonesia, Oct. 20, 2020. (Laily Rachev/Presidential Palace/Handout via Xinhua)

JAKARTA, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia and Japan have agreed to reopen reciprocal business travels amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the two countries' leaders said on Tuesday.

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who is visiting Indonesia for the first time since taking office in September, discussed with Indonesian President Joko Widodo the plan to begin a reciprocal green lane for business.

"Prime Minister Suga and I have agreed on the importance of establishing a travel corridor arrangement for essential business," Widodo said at a joint press conference with Suga.

The Indonesian president said the two countries' foreign ministers will have separate discussions to determine details of the plan within a month.

"We make sure to reopen the travels between the two countries for business people, including nurses and care givers, under the framework of the Indonesia-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (IJEPA)," Suga said.

The reopening of the reciprocal travels for the two countries must be carried out immediately with short-term business objectives by relaxing self-isolation measures for 14 days after entering the country of destination, he said.

This is Suga's first overseas trip since he replaced Shinzo Abe, who stepped down as the prime minister for health reasons. Prior to Indonesia, Suga visited Vietnam.