MPR Chairman Appreciates Japanese Gov's Free Visa Move

Jakarta (Antara) - The Chairman of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), Zulkifli Hasan, has appreciated the Japanese government's initiative of granting free visas to Indonesians. "I thank the Japanese government for implementing the policy that grants free visas to Indonesians," he said in a written statement here on Tuesday. The new Japanese Ambassador to Indonesia, Yasuaki Tanizaki, visited Hasan in the parliament building on Tuesday (November 4). "I will help to improve relations between Indonesia and Japan," he stated. He added that Indonesia had great potential for high economic growth. "Indonesia is an important country. It is a ray of hope for the Southeast Asian region," he remarked. Furthermore, Tanizaki pointed out that the Japanese government expected Indonesia to provide free visas to Japanese tourists. "I will help make this expectation a reality," Hasan affirmed. (*)