US Visit Not Related To Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement : President

Palm Springs, California (Antara Bali) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has stated that his working visit to the United States (US) is not related to the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement.

"So, we are here, having nothing to do with TPP this time," the president told the press in Miramonte Resort, Indian Wells, here, Monday.

He said in his previous visit last October, he did tell President Obama that Indonesia intended to join the TPP.

It would take a long process of up to two or three years to be accepted in the agreement, he noted.

However, Indonesia needs to calculate the benefits and disadvantages of joining the TPP, according to him.

Indonesia first wanted to study the FTA of the European Union, he added.

Jokowi and his entourage arrived at the Palm Springs International Airport in California, on Sunday evening to attend the ASEAN-US Summit.

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. (WDY)