REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, TOKYO -- Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe discussed accelerating the development of medium-speed railway facilities on the Jakarta-Surabaya route during a bilateral meeting after the 23rd International Forum: Future of Asia.

Kalla said the discussion, held in Tokyo on Monday, focused on accelerating the implementation of the tender after a feasibility study is completed by the end of 2017.

"The discussion is over, and now, the most important aspect is how to accelerate the implementation for which Japan remains committed," he remarked.

The vice president expressed optimism that the development of the project would be accelerated, as Indonesia already has the basic infrastructure, such as railways, stations, and human resources, to operate it.

The Jakarta-Surabaya medium-speed railway facilities are expected to reduce the eight- to nine-hour travel time to only five hours.

Indonesia and Japan will hold another meeting in Jakarta next September to discuss the results of the feasibility study.

The 30-minute bilateral meeting between Kalla and Abe not only covered discussions on accelerating the railway project but also touched on investment commitment in the manufacturing sector, efforts to increase the number of Indonesian workers in Japan, and intensifying cooperation during the 60-year commemoration of Indonesia-Japan diplomatic relations. 

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