Indonesia-JICA Agree to Strengthen Cooperation in the Forestry Sector

RRI.CO.ID, Tokyo - Following up on President Prabowo Subianto's directive to enhance bilateral cooperation between Indonesia and Japan, the Ministry of Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia held a meeting with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Both parties agreed to strengthen strategic cooperation in the forestry sector, particularly in supporting climate change mitigation, land degradation rehabilitation, and world-class conservation area management.

This agreement emerged during a meeting between Raja Juli Antoni, Minister of Forestry, and Yoshifumi Yoshikawa, Senior Vice President of JICA. Accompanying the Minister of Forestry at the meeting were Ristianto Pribadi, Head of the Public Relations and Foreign Cooperation Bureau, Ahmad Munawir, Director of Species and Genetic Conservation, and Ima Yudin Rayaningtyas, Forestry Attaché at the Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo.

In a press release received by RRI VOI from the Ministry of Forestry on Monday, 30 March 2026, the meeting proceeded constructively. Both parties affirmed their shared commitment to expanding existing collaboration and exploring new, more innovative and impactful opportunities for cooperation.

During the meeting, the Minister of Forestry emphasized that the Indonesian government, under the direction of President Prabowo Subianto, is strongly committed to controlling climate change and accelerating the rehabilitation of degraded land as part of efforts to maintain environmental sustainability while improving public welfare.

The Ministry of Forestry conveyed a broad vision to develop Indonesian conservation areas into World-Class National Parks, excelling not only in biodiversity protection but also in governance, ecotourism best practices, and contributing to the local and global economy.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Forestry invited JICA to jointly strengthen the World Mangrove Center initiative as a bridge for global efforts in mangrove ecosystem rehabilitation, research, education, and management innovation. This initiative is expected to become an international reference for nature-based climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts.

JICA welcomed these initiatives and expressed its readiness to continue supporting Indonesia through technical cooperation, funding, and the exchange of knowledge and technology. JICA's support has been seen as making a tangible contribution to various forestry programs in Indonesia, including sustainable forest resource management and institutional capacity strengthening.

This meeting marked a crucial moment in strengthening the Indonesia-Japan partnership in the forestry sector, while also emphasizing the strategic role of international cooperation in addressing global challenges related to climate change and environmental degradation.

Strengthening forestry technical cooperation with JICA is one of the programs to strengthen Indonesia-Japan relations and is part of President Prabowo Subianto's state visit to Japan.