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Indonesian President Joko Widodo, left, shakes hands with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol during their summit on the sidelines of the 2023 G7 Hiroshima Summit, western Japan, Sunday. Joint Press Corps |
By Nam Hyun-woo
HIROSHIMA, Japan ― Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Sunday asked President Yoon Suk Yeol for South Korean companies' proactive participation in the Southeast Asian country's capital relocation project, during their summit on the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G7) Summit in Hiroshima, Japan, Sunday.
During their bilateral summit, Jokowi underscored that cooperation between South Korea and Indonesia has significance for his country, and asked for Seoul's proactive investments in Indonesia in the fields of agriculture, electric vehicles, ICT and small modular nuclear reactors, according to Seoul's presidential spokesperson Lee Do-woon.
Especially, Jokowi stressed that he expects South Korean companies possessing advanced technology and experience to participate in making Indonesia's future capital of Nusantara a purpose-built city.
During last year's summit between Yoon and Jokowi in Seoul, the two sides agreed to work together on the relocation project. At the time, Yoon said, "South Korea's experience of constructing Sejong City will be a good reference for Indonesia," referring to the city of Sejong, located 144 kilometers south of Seoul, now an administrative capital of the country.
During Sunday's summit, Yoon said he is pleased to see the two countries' cooperation expediting after Jokowi's visit to Seoul last year, and expressed his gratitude for the Indonesian president's attention to bilateral investments, infrastructure and defense cooperation between the two countries.
"Yoon said the South Korean government prioritizes its cooperation with Indonesia, which is a key partner of future industry, and asked for President Jokowi's continued support of South Korean businesses there," Lee said.
Meanwhile, President Joko Widodo expressed his strong support for the South Korean government's "Korea-ASEAN Solidarity Initiative (KASI)," a plan for its cooperation with ASEAN. Yoon reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening cooperation with ASEAN for peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.
The summit was held as the leaders were celebrating the 50th anniversary of bilateral ties.