Jokowi visit to strengthen bilateral ties

Indonesian President Joko Widodo will hold a two-day official visit to Kuala Lumpur starting today, which is expected to further strengthen the already close bilateral relations between Malaysia and Indonesia.

According to a statement by the Foreign Ministry, this is Widodo's first visit to the country after being re-elected for the second term in the April 17 presidential election.

Widodo, to be accompanied by his wife Iriana, will be formally welcomed on Aug 9 at Dataran Perdana, Putrajaya.

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his wife, Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali will also host an official lunch to celebrate Jokowi and his wife in Seri Perdana.

"Prime minister will hold a meeting with Jokowi to discuss bilateral issues and cooperation and exchange views on matters of mutual interest," the statement said.

Indonesia is Malaysia's closest neighbouring country, ninth-largest trading partner globally and third largest among Asean member states after Singapore and Thailand.

In 2018, the total bilateral trade volume was RM72.02 billion (US$17.85 billion), up 7.4 percent from RM71.51 billion (US$16.62 billion) in 2017.

- Bernama