TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - After attending a meeting with Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Darmin Nasution, Japanese Ambassador to Indonesia Yasuaki Tanazaki expressed his regret over the cancellation of the bullet train project.

According to Tanazaki, the Indonesian Government and Japan has extended cooperation to conduct the feasibility study for the project. Mr. Tanzaki also believes that Japan has the best technology with the highest safety standards.

"I'm not disappointed. I just deplored the decision," Tanazaki told journalists on Friday, September 4, 2015.

Earlier, the Indonesian government announced that it would replace the bullet train project with a medium-speed train to serve the Jakarta-Bandung and Jakarta-Surabaya route. President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo said that he wanted the project to be developed under a business-to-business scheme without burdening the state budget.

In response to the announcement, Tanazaki said that he was not sure yet whether Japanese investors would be interested in the medium-speed train project.

"But we will be happier if it's a bullet train project. We believe that Indonesia needs our technology," Tanazaki added.

Tanazaki however, said that he respected the Indonesian government's decision to drop the bullet train project.

INGE