President Jokowi To Visit Dubai Seaport

Abu Dhabi (Antara Bali) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) is scheduled to travel by car from Abu Dhabi to Dubai to visit a seaport on Monday.

The 110-kilometer-long trip is expected to take over an hour by car, according to information from the presidential staff.

From Dubai, the head of state and his entourage are scheduled to proceed to Qatar for a working visit that will last until Tuesday.

Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi noted that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is the main destination of Indonesia's exports in the Middle East.

"The trade balance reached US$4.25 billion in 2014, and Indonesia enjoyed a surplus worth US$748 million," the minister stated.

In a business forum held during Jokowi's visit to the UAE, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between PT Pindad and the Continental Aviation Services on cooperation in the licensing of SS2 rifles and the marketing of Pindad-made ammunition in the Middle East markets.

In the investment field, the UAE, which has huge sovereign wealth funds, is one of the major Middle Eastern investors in Indonesia.

In addition to carrying out portfolio investment, the UAE also made direct investments worth US$25.365 million in 2014.

In the meantime, the governments of Indonesia and the UAE signed an MoU on Prevention of Human Trafficking and Protection of Victims.

The cooperation agreement was signed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno L.P. Marsudi and UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah in Abu Dhabi on the sidelines of President Jokowi's state visit to the UAE.

The agreement includes law enforcement, investigation, and prosecution.

In addition, the two countries agreed to provide protection, rehabilitation, and assistance, including the repatriation of victims of human trafficking. (WDY)