Jakarta, July 30 -- Japanese Ambassador to ASEAN Yonetani Koji has praised Indonesia's role as a country that consistently takes the initiative and expressed hope that Jakarta will continue to provide strong leadership in Asia.

"We expect Indonesia to continue playing an important leadership role in the region by taking initiatives to advance regional cooperation in ways that respond to the evolving strategic environment," he said in an interview with ANTARA for the International Corner program in Jakarta on Thursday.

Ambassador Yonetani said Indonesia holds a pivotal position in promoting regional cooperation that can adapt to changing circumstances and emerging challenges.

According to him, Indonesia's leadership in regional cooperat...