Jakarta. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida recently told President-elect Prabowo Subianto that his country would help Indonesia get into the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). 

The OECD -- of which Japan is a member -- has already begun formal talks to discuss whether Indonesia can join the grouping. Indonesia will have to go through a series of rigorous review processes to make sure that it meets the OECD standards. All OECD members also have to accept Indonesia into their club.

The recent meeting between Prabowo and Kishida in Japan showed that Indonesia had gotten at least Japan’s backing for its OECD candidacy.

“Prime Minister Kishida stated that Japan would contribute to Indonesia’s development through cooperation in such fields as infrastructure development and energy, and support Indonesia’s efforts to proceed with the process of its accession to the OECD,” a Japanese Foreign Affairs Ministry’s statement on the Prabowo-Kishida meeting reads. 

Indonesia is seeking to be part of the OECD to become an advanced economy. The review process is expected to drive Indonesia to implement domestic reforms to meet OECD’s criteria.

The organization does not set a fixed timeline, meaning Indonesia’s membership date depends on whether Jakarta can make the necessary adjustments.

Japan became an OECD member in 1964 which prompted the country to make reforms at home. Japan and South Korea are the only Asian countries that are OECD members. 

Japan is the second country that Prabowo visited after the General Election Commission (KPU) officially announced his victory. 

“Prime Minister Kishida … stated that President-elect Prabowo’s early visit to Japan was strongly encouraging since he understood that this visit showed the President-elect's intention to attach great importance to Japan,” the statement reads.