Jakarta (Antara Bali) - Foreign minister Retno Marsudi said here on Monday three special issues would be covered during the visit of Saudi King Salman bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud March 1-9.
"Firstly in terms of politics this will be a very historic visit because it will be the first after the last visit of a Saudi king 47 years ago," she said at the Presidential Palace compound.
King Salman will be in Jakarta and Bogor from March 1 to 3 and after he and his 1,500 member delegation including 10 ministers and 25 princes will be in Bali from March 4 to 9.
"Secondly this visit reflects the good relationship between Indonesia and Saudi. I met with the Saudi counterpart on the sidelines of G20 meeting and he said he saw commiment of the two countries to get close to each other. Moreover in the past two years there have been extraordinarily intensive visits at ministerial and parliamentary levels, business contacts and good relations at leaders' level as well as several telephone conversations they have made," she said.
Minister Retno said Saudi Arabia saw Indonesia as a country that has a number of qualities such as a country with the world's biggest Muslim population, the biggest country in Southeast Asia and a country with a good economic growth.
"So far we have talked about cooperation projects we will carry out with Saudi Arabia such as refinery development in Cilacap and so now we will how far it has gone. So more discussions would be dedicated to cooperation projects we would conduct with Saudi Arabia," she said.
The third issue to be covered in the visis is Muslims' problems such as haj pilgrims' quota.
"Besides politics and economy thre would also be discussions on Muslims' problems such as hajj pilgrims issue," she said.
"With regard to the ministry of religious affairs there will be talks on hajj and minor hajj pilgrimage organization and waqaf that we will intensify for religious education and culture. Especially on waqaf a memorandum of understanding woukd be followed up in a more concrete program," religious affairs minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin said.
Based on the Capital Investment Coordinating Board data in 2016 Saudi investment in Indonesia only reached US$900,000 putting that country at the 57th rank as investor after South Africa that invested US$1 million and Mali with its investment reaching US$1.1 million in the year.
In terms of investment Saudi Arabia has a huge potential. Saudi investors are identical with palace family because most richmen in Saudi Arabia are members of the palace family.
Prince Walid bin Talal bin Abdul Aziz is recorded as being among the world's richest with his wealth worth up to US$20 billion. In 2005 he donated US40 million to Harvard and Georgetown Universities for the development of Islamic studies.
Education cooperation in Indonesia has so far been carried out by Islam and Arab Education Institute (LIPIA) in Jakarta which will be expanded to three regions in Indonesia. (WDY)
COPYRIGHT © ANTARA News Bali 2017
"Firstly in terms of politics this will be a very historic visit because it will be the first after the last visit of a Saudi king 47 years ago," she said at the Presidential Palace compound.
King Salman will be in Jakarta and Bogor from March 1 to 3 and after he and his 1,500 member delegation including 10 ministers and 25 princes will be in Bali from March 4 to 9.
"Secondly this visit reflects the good relationship between Indonesia and Saudi. I met with the Saudi counterpart on the sidelines of G20 meeting and he said he saw commiment of the two countries to get close to each other. Moreover in the past two years there have been extraordinarily intensive visits at ministerial and parliamentary levels, business contacts and good relations at leaders' level as well as several telephone conversations they have made," she said.
Minister Retno said Saudi Arabia saw Indonesia as a country that has a number of qualities such as a country with the world's biggest Muslim population, the biggest country in Southeast Asia and a country with a good economic growth.
"So far we have talked about cooperation projects we will carry out with Saudi Arabia such as refinery development in Cilacap and so now we will how far it has gone. So more discussions would be dedicated to cooperation projects we would conduct with Saudi Arabia," she said.
The third issue to be covered in the visis is Muslims' problems such as haj pilgrims' quota.
"Besides politics and economy thre would also be discussions on Muslims' problems such as hajj pilgrims issue," she said.
"With regard to the ministry of religious affairs there will be talks on hajj and minor hajj pilgrimage organization and waqaf that we will intensify for religious education and culture. Especially on waqaf a memorandum of understanding woukd be followed up in a more concrete program," religious affairs minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin said.
Based on the Capital Investment Coordinating Board data in 2016 Saudi investment in Indonesia only reached US$900,000 putting that country at the 57th rank as investor after South Africa that invested US$1 million and Mali with its investment reaching US$1.1 million in the year.
In terms of investment Saudi Arabia has a huge potential. Saudi investors are identical with palace family because most richmen in Saudi Arabia are members of the palace family.
Prince Walid bin Talal bin Abdul Aziz is recorded as being among the world's richest with his wealth worth up to US$20 billion. In 2005 he donated US40 million to Harvard and Georgetown Universities for the development of Islamic studies.
Education cooperation in Indonesia has so far been carried out by Islam and Arab Education Institute (LIPIA) in Jakarta which will be expanded to three regions in Indonesia. (WDY)
Editor : I Gusti Bagus Widyantara
COPYRIGHT © ANTARA News Bali 2017