President Jokowi Arrives In West Papua For Working Visit

Manokwari, West Papua (Antara Bali) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and his entourage arrived in Manokwari district, West Papua, on Tuesday morning on a working visit to oversee and inaugurate numerous infrastructure projects.

Presidential aircraft Boeing 737-400 of Indonesian Air Force took off from Pattimura airport in Ambon, Maluku, at 7.42 am East Indonesia Standard Time (WIT) and arrived at Rendani airport in Manokwari at 9.14 am WIT.

Arriving at Rendani airport, President Jokowi was greeted by West Papua Governor Abraham Octavianus Attururi, Cendrawasi Military Commander Major General Hinsa Siburian, and West Papua Police Chief Brig.Gen Royke Lumowa.

After that, the president was flown by an Air Force Super Puma helicopter to Wondama Bay district where the head of state would inaugurate Wasior sea port.

Wasior port was built as part of government's sea toll road program to restate that Indonesia is a maritime country.

Later from Manokwari, the president will fly to North Maluku to symbolically inaugurate several new sea ports of Galela, Tutu Kembong, Wonreli, and Teon.

The new seaports are expected to support the government's sea toll road program aimed at boosting the country's inter-island connectivity and logistics supplies to remote areas.

"Sea toll is not a road. This means there are deep sea ports and harbors in Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, and Papua. Moreover, there are big ships operating every day, so (goods/commodity) prices in all islands will be the same. It is a sense of justice," Jokowi had stated.

President Jokowi and the First Lady will return to Jakarta on Wednesday. (WDY)