Kuala Lumpur (Antara Bali) - The Indonesian government will hold a bilateral meeting with the Malaysian government on the second day of President Joko Widodo's state visit to Malaysia on Friday.
Based on information gathered here on Friday, before the bilateral talks, President Joko Widodo will have a limited meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak in Putrajaya at 9 a.m local time.
Both leaders will then hold the bilateral meeting to be chaired by PM Najib Razak at about 10 a.m. local time.
At about 11.20 a.m, the two heads of government will give a joint press conference, followed by a lunch and a Friday prayer.
Joko Widodo will observe the Malaysian automotive industry at about 3 p.m local time and thereafter attend a gathering of the Indonesian community in Kuala Lumpur. The gathering will be held at the Indonesian Embassy here.
According to Deputy Indonesian Ambassador to Malaysia Harmono on Thursday, some 300 Indonesian citizens representing several mass organizations in Malaysia will meet President Jokowi, the President is popularly called.
He remarked that the meeting will take place at the Hasanuddin Hall in the Indonesian Embassy building in Kuala Lumpur on Friday.
"President Jokowi wants to get closer to the people of Indonesia in Malaysia and to have a dialog with them," Harmono remarked, adding that the gathering will last for about an hour.
Earlier, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said Malaysia is the ASEAN chairman in 2015. In the bilateral meeting, the two leaders will discuss many issues of mutual concern for increasing cooperation and friendship relations.
Besides in the investment and tourism sectors, the two leaders will also discuss efforts to increase cooperation in the trade and manpower fields, she said.
"We will learn the results of talks with Prime Minister Najib Razak. In the tourism sector, the number of Malaysian tourists visiting Indonesia now reaches about one million per year," the foreign minister said.
She said that Malaysia as the chairman of ASEAN will play an important role in advancing the region.
"For Indonesia, Malaysia is the closest ASEAN country to Indonesia geographically. So, we need to strengthen relations," she said. (WDY)
