Indonesian VP, Saudi Ambassador discuss Arab League Summit, bilateral partnership

Jakarta, The Gulf Observer: Indonesian Vice President Ma’ruf Amin received a visit from Saudi Arabian Ambassador to Indonesia, Faisal bin Abdullah H. Amodi, in Jakarta on Thursday to discuss Saudi Arabia’s leadership at the Arab League Summit and bilateral partnership.

“The vice president received two important diplomats from Saudi Arabia: Ambassador Amodi and Deputy Ambassador Essam Al Getale,” said Vice President’s spokesperson Masduki Baidlowi in a statement delivered via video in Jakarta on Thursday.

While receiving Ambassador Amodi, Vice President Amin praised the Saudi government for recently holding the Arab League Summit in Jeddah.

“The vice president followed the summit closely. He also lauded Saudi Arabia’s leadership in the Arab League because one of the focuses of the current leadership of the Arab League is to embrace old friends,” Baidlowi said.

He affirmed that Amin also commended Saudi Arabia for returning to embrace Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, despite relations between the two leaders of the countries having soured.

The vice president is optimistic that Saudi Arabia’s leadership in the Arab League will unite the Islamic world and Muslims to become a strong force among other powers, Baidlowi said.

“The vice president really hopes that in the future, the leadership of Saudi Arabia can be effective in bringing the Arab League to unify the Muslim community,” he stated.

At the meeting, Amin and Amodi also discussed the sound and long-standing relations between Saudi Arabia and Indonesia.

The ambassador then conveyed the King of Saudi Arabia’s greetings to the vice president and stated that the relations between Saudi Arabia and Indonesia are special and date back a long time.

Saudi Arabia is optimistic of more concrete relations with Indonesia, especially in terms of trade and economic aspects, Baidlowi stated.

“So far, the relationship between Saudi Arabia and Indonesia has been quite good, but in the context of trade, it has not been optimal. We must increase our trading partners with Saudi Arabia,” he affirmed.

He said that Amin and Amodi expressed commitment to strengthening partnership between the two countries.

Amin also expressed his keenness to visit Saudi Arabia next year towards the end of his tenure as Indonesian Vice President, he said.