President Jokowi Receives Sri Lankan President; Several Agreements Reached

President Jokowi shakes hands with President of Sri Lanka Maithripala Sirisena after a joint press conference at Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Wednesday (8/3). (Photo by: Rahmat/Public Relations Division)

President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo on Wednesday received a state visit of President of Sri Lanka, Maithripala Sirisena. The historic visit, the President said, is the first visit of a Sri Lankan President since the last visit 41 years ago.

“The visit is even more special because this year is the 65^th commemoration of diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Sri Lanka,” said President Jokowi in a press conference with the Sri Lankan President after the bilateral talk between the two leaders at the Merdeka Palace on Wednesday (8/3).

According to the President, Indonesia has expressed its readiness to support development in Sri Lanka and will follow it up by formulating a free trade agreement. Both countries have also agreed to promote cooperation through exchange experiences in democracy and capacity building, the President added.

In the mean time, the talk has also produced three agreements that will further strengthen cooperation between the two countries, namely MoU on the fisheries and maritime sectors, a joint communiqué to handle illegal fishing and an MoU on the cooperation in traditional industry sector.

Joining the President at the event were Coordinating Minister for the Economy Darmin Nasution, Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi, Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung, Minister of Trade Enggartiasto Lukita, Minister of Research, Technology, and Higher Education M. Nasir, and Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Susi Pudjiastuti. (DND/RAH/ES) (EP/YM/Naster)