VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) received a state visit of President of the Federated States of Micronesia Peter M. Christian at the Bogor Presidential Palace, West Java, Wednesday (18/07). In this meeting, the Head of State offers N219 Nurtanio aircraft made in Indonesia. According to Jokowi, increasing connectivity is important because Indonesia and Federated States of Micronesia are both archipelagic countries. In addition, according to Jokowi, President Christian plans to directly visit PT Dirgantara Indonesia aircraft manufacturer in Bandung, West Java, Thursday. Both countries also agreed to improve economic cooperation. One of them is by inviting entrepreneurs from Federated States of Micronesia to attend the Trade Expo Indonesia 2018.

"We agree to strengthen cooperation in various forums in the south pacific, among others through cooperation in the Pacific Island forum. In the bilateral meeting, we discussed various efforts to improve bilateral cooperation. Firstly, as archipelagic countries, we agree to increase cooperation in the maritime field and increase inter-island connectivity. Indonesia also offers N219 aircraft produced by PT Dirgantara Indonesia to be used as inter-island transport aircraft. President Christian on Thursday will visit the manufacturer in Bandung. Secondly, in the economic field, we agree to increase the interaction of entrepreneurs of both countries. In this connection I invite businessmen of Federated States of Micronesia to participate in Indonesian Trade Expo 2018, said President Joko Widodo.

Meanwhile, President of the Federated States of Micronesia Peter M. Christian welcomed various cooperation offers from Indonesia. Christian said he wanted to be more useful to get closer relations between the two developing countries.

"While we talked about the economic development and technical assistant, unfortunately the Federated State of Micronesia, unlike Indonesia, has very limited resources, and limited land, limited number of people to develop the economic for the enjoyment of a better economic and social development. We are in this sense grateful to Indonesian government for offering technical assistance to Micronesia, you know, effort to develop our country, said Peter M. Christian.

The relationship between the two countries was also enhanced through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding or MoU on visa free between the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia Retno LP Marsudi and the Representative of Foreign Ministry of the Federated States of Micronesia Lorin Robert. The Federated States of Micronesia is an archipelagic country covering the states of Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae, which are scattered in the Western Pacific Ocean. The country with 607 islands is located to the northeast of Papua Island, south of Guam and Mariana Islands, west of Nauru and Marshall Islands, and east of the Philippines. (KBRN/RINI/AHM)