Jakarta. Indonesia’s capital Jakarta is seeking to bolster its so-called “sister city” cooperation with its Japanese counterpart Tokyo, particularly in addressing urban challenges.

Acting Jakarta Governor Heru Budi Hartono held a meeting with Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike on the sidelines of the UN climate forum COP28 in Dubai over the weekend. According to the Jakarta government press release, both governors exchanged views on how they tackle urban challenges and climate change. The governors also talked about their plans for the continuation of the sister-city partnership in 2024.

“Jakarta is now in the process of ramping up its innovative solutions to tackle urban challenges, improve public services, and boost government transparency. For this reason, Jakarta is growing its partnership with other global cities, among others, Tokyo,” Heru was quoted as saying in a recent press statement.

Jakarta also looked forward to hosting the 2024 Crisis Management Conference, Heru told Koike. As the name suggests, the forum serves as a platform for stakeholders to exchange their views on policies and practices related to disaster management.

Jakarta and Tokyo first established a sister city cooperation in 1989. At first, the partnership encompassed government delegation visits, youth and sports, as well as visits by technical staff and vocational training delegation. This partnership now includes other domains such as culture, health, environmental sustainability, and disaster management.