President Jokowi welcomes Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim

Bogor, The Gulf Observer: President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) welcomed Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim at the Bogor Presidential Palace, West Java, Monday, to hold a one-on-one meeting to discuss cooperation development and efforts to address global challenges.

PM Ibrahim arrived at the Bogor Palace at 10 a.m. local time and was welcomed by President Jokowi and several ministers in the Onward Indonesia cabinet, including Head of the Nusantara Capital Authority, Bambang Susantono.

PM Ibrahim is on a visit to Indonesia on January 8-9, 2023, upon the invitation of President Jokowi.

At the Bogor Palace, the two heads of state and government reviewed the progress in bilateral cooperation, explored new potential areas for cooperation, and promoted joint efforts to address regional and global challenges.

Some of the vital issues to be discussed are economic cooperation, including Malaysia’s potential investment in the National Capital City (IKN) Nusantara, land and maritime demarcation, and placement and protection of Indonesian migrant workers.

The two leaders will also exchange views on several regional and global issues, particularly on the situation in Myanmar and joint efforts to tackle discrimination against palm oil, wherein Malaysia and Indonesia are the world’s largest exporters.

President Jokowi and PM Ibrahim will witness the handover of 11 Letters of Interest (Lol) from Malaysian companies to participate in the development of IKN Nusantara. The handover will be carried out by Malaysian Minister of International Trade and Industry Tengku Zafrul Aziz to Head of the Nusantara Capital Authority, Bambang Susantono.

In addition, some eight memoranda of understanding (MoUs), estimated to be worth RM1.16 billion, or around Rp4.11 trillion, will be inked between the Malaysian and Indonesian private sectors.

Ibrahim was also scheduled to give a public lecture on Malaysia-Indonesia strategic relations and attend a meeting session with the Malaysian diaspora in Jakarta.

During the January-November 2022 period, Indonesia was Malaysia’s sixth-largest trading partner globally and the 2nd in ASEAN, with total trade worth RM120.26 billion, or around Rp427.442 trillion.