Jakarta (ANTARA) – President Joko Widodo (Jokowi), on Friday, held a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister of China Li Qiang at the Presidential Palace, Jakarta.The bilateral meeting with PM Li concluded the series of bilateral meetings conducted by President Jokowi on the occasion of the 43rd summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) that was held under Indonesia’s 2023 ASEAN chairmanship on September 5-7 in Jakarta. The president, along with several ministers, welcomed PM Li in the courtyard of the palace. Both leaders joined a state ceremony and listened to the national anthems of their countries before heading to the Oval Room of the palace, where PM Li signed the guest book. The two figures thereafter proceeded to ink a memorandum of understanding in the same room. “This meeting is a manifestation of our strong commitment to our comprehensive and strategic partnership. I would also like to extend my gratitude to Your Excellency for your support for the chairmanship of Indonesia in ASEAN and the bloc’s centrality in protecting the Indo-Pacific,” Jokowi told Li. PM Li, for his part, expressed enthusiasm over his official visit to Indonesia to participate in the 26th ASEAN-China Summit, held on Wednesday (September 6), and the 18th East Asia Summit (EAS), held on the following day. During the ASEAN-China Summit, leaders of ASEAN states and China issued the Joint Statement on Mutually Beneficial Cooperation on the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific, Meanwhile, at the EAS, ASEAN and East Asian leaders produced the East Asia Summit Leaders’ Statement on Maintaining and Promoting the Region as an Epicentrum of Growth. “I am very glad to be able to conduct an official visit to Indonesia to participate in the East Asia Summit,” he remarked. In the meeting, he also extended greetings from Chinese President Xi Jinping to President Jokowi. Maritime and Investment Coordinating Minister Luhut Pandjaitan, Economic Affairs Coordinating Minister Airlangga Hartarto, Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi, Investment Minister/Investment Coordinating Board Head Bahlil Lahadalia, Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan, Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang, and Agriculture Minister Syahrul Limpo accompanied Jokowi in the bilateral meeting. Earlier, in the same day, President Jokowi also received a visit from South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol at the presidential palace.

Source: Antara News Agency