VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOI News - On the sidelines of a state visit to Sri Lanka on Wednesday, January 24, 2018, Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi)  received a courtesy visit by Sri Lanka Parliament Opposition Leader Rajavarothiam Sampanthan at the Hilton Hotel Colombo, Sri Lanka.

President Jokowi also welcomed the visit aimed at encouraging concrete and beneficial cooperation for both countries. Moreover, diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Sri Lanka have been well established for more than six decades.

"In my visit to Sri Lanka, I would like to encourage the strengthening of cooperation in various fields, especially in the economic field," said President.

One of them is by establishing Free Trade Agreement and building capacity cooperation. Therefore, President Jokowi hopes that Indonesia can be given an opportunity to participate in Sri Lanka's economic development.

"I look forward to the support of the Sri Lankan parliament in strengthening the Indonesia-Sri Lanka relationship, including through enhancing close cooperation between parliaments," he said.

In addition, President Jokowi also expressed the readiness of Indonesia to exchange experiences with Sri Lanka related to nation-building, given Sri Lanka's strong commitment to post-conflict resolution in 2019.

"As in Sri Lanka, the process of nation building is also continuously strengthened in Indonesia which has a pluralism with Pancasila as the philosophical foundation of the nation," said the President.

Accompanying the President in the meeting were Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung, Indonesian Ambassador to Sri Lanka I Gusti Ngurah Ardiyasa. (Release Protocol, Press and Media Division of Secretariat of the President)