Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri has set up a special team to advise the government on how to boost economic relations with Japan, the Jakarta Post reported Wednesday.
"The (Indonesian) team will become a counterpart of the Japanese economic team to seek ways to boost economic relationships between the two countries," economist Sri Adiningsih from Gadjah Mada University was quoted as saying.
The team will be led by Indonesian State Enterprises Minister Laksamana Sukardi. It will include Adiningsih, University of Indonesia economist Sri Mulyani Indrawati, automaker PT Astra International's President Teddy Rachmat, National Development Planning Agency official Djunaedi Hadisumarto, education expert Muchtar Buchori, sociologist Untoro Suryo and legislator Heri Akhmadi of the Megawati-led Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle.
The Japanese team consists of experts from various universities, including Takatoshi Ito, Masaaki Komatsu, Toshihiko Kinoshita, Shujiro Urata, Shinji Asanuma and Takashi Shiraishi.
Sri said the two teams will discuss macroeconomics, bank restructuring, private investment, small and midsize enterprises, decentralization, democratization, and other issues.
Japan is Indonesia's largest donor and investor, as well as its second-largest export market.