RRI.CO.ID, Tokyo - Indonesian Minister of Forestry, Raja Juli Antoni, held a bilateral meeting with Japanese Minister of Environment, Ishihara Hirotaka, in Tokyo. This meeting is an important part of strengthening Indonesia-Japan strategic cooperation in forestry, conservation, and climate change mitigation.

According to a quote received by RRI VOI from the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry on Tuesday, 31 March 2026, the Japanese Minister of Environment expressed his appreciation to the Indonesian Government, particularly the Ministry of Forestry, for the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Shizuoka Prefecture regarding wildlife protection and conservation. This collaboration focuses on the Komodo dragon breeding loan program as part of efforts to sustainably conserve Indonesia's iconic species.

Furthermore, the Japanese Government also expressed its appreciation for the Indonesian delegation's visit to Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park as part of an exchange of experiences in managing national parks to international standards.

On the same occasion, Japan also invited Indonesia to join the Asia Protected Areas Partnership, a network of protected areas focused on national parks in Asia, which currently involves 17 countries.

Responding to this, Minister of Forestry, Raja Juli Antoni, expressed his gratitude for the Japanese Government's support and close cooperation in managing Indonesia's forestry sector. He emphasized that this bilateral meeting was part of President Prabowo's state visit to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries.

He also proposed the development of a Sister Park Partnership between Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park and national parks in Indonesia. This initiative is expected to strengthen knowledge exchange, increase human resource capacity, and strengthen governance toward the development of a world-class national park.

In the context of climate action, the Minister of Forestry also invited the Japanese private sector to participate in carbon investments in Indonesia through deforestation and reforestation activities, including in national park areas. This meeting demonstrated the commitment of Indonesia and Japan to strengthening collaboration in the forestry sector while encouraging innovative, nature-based solutions to address the challenges of climate change.