Indonesia Discusses Cooperation with Japan to Create World-Class National Parks

RRI.CO.ID, Hakone - The Minister of Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia, Raja Juli Antoni, met with representatives of the Japanese Government to strengthen cooperation in conservation area management. The meeting was attended by Shichimeko Shuici, Director of Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, and Ikuo Yamada from the International Cooperation Office of the Japanese Ministry of Environment.

In a statement received by RRI Voice of Indonesia on Sunday, March 29, 2026, the Ministry of Forestry announced the initiative to develop sister park cooperation between Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park and several alternative national parks in Indonesia with similar ecosystem characteristics, namely Kerinci Seblat National Park, Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park, and Mount Rinjani National Park.

This sister park collaboration is expected to be a strategic step in improving the quality of national park management through the exchange of knowledge, experience, and best practices in conservation and ecotourism development. This initiative is also aimed at strengthening the position of Indonesian national parks and increasing their global recognition.

The Japanese Ministry of the Environment welcomed the proposal and encouraged concrete follow-up through a technical workshop to discuss the technical aspects of the collaboration in more depth. This workshop is expected to serve as an initial forum for formulating an implementable and sustainable framework for cooperation.

Previously, on March 28, 2029, the Minister of Forestry signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Governor of Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, regarding cooperation in wildlife protection and conservation, with a focus on the Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) breeding loan program.

The development of sister park cooperation with Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park and the Komodo breeding loan MoU are part of the Ministry of Forestry's program to help strengthen Indonesia-Japan relations, which is part of President Prabowo Subianto's state visit to Japan.