Indonesian President Arrives In US To Attend ASEAN-US Summit

Rancho Mirage, California (Antara Bali) - Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and his entourage arrived at the Palm Springs International Airport in California, the United States, on Sunday evening to attend the ASEAN-US Summit.

After a long, tiring flight from Jakarta with a two-time stopover at Guam and then Honolulu, Jokowi and his entourage finally arrived in California at 5:05 p.m. local time. The time difference between California and Jakarta is about 15 hours.

On arrival at the Palm Springs International Airport, President Jokowi and First Lady Iriana were greeted by Indonesian Ambassador to the US Budi Bowoleksono and his wife Reshanty Bowoleksono, US Assistant Chief of Protocol Gladys Boluda, and Defense Attaché of the Indonesian Embassy in Washington DC Vice Marshal Fajar Sumaryadi, after which the Indonesian head of state headed to the Miramonte Resort Indian Wells.

President Jokowi is scheduled to attend the ASEAN-US Summit, which will take place at Sunnylands in Rancho Mirage, California, on February 15-16, 2016.

"This ASEAN-US Summit is being held following ASEAN's new strategic partnership with the United States reached last year," Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi stated at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta recently.

She said the summit will serve as a platform to implement an action plan on the framework of cooperation between the ASEAN and the United States.

Based on data from the ASEAN Secretariat, during the latest ASEAN-US Summit 2015 held in Malaysia, both parties had agreed to take the dialog to a strategic level.

The strategic partnership will be realized through the implementation of the ASEAN-US action plan for the 2016-2020 period.

The action plan will support three pillars of the ASEAN Community and five priority areas, including economic integration, maritime cooperation, inter-nation challenges, including climate change, as well as the empowerment of women and children. (WDY)