This shows the closeness between the prime minister and the president."
Sydney (ANTARA News) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) held a business meeting here on Saturday (Feb. 25) with 13 major Australian investors during his state visit to Australia.

"Today, the president has begun his state visit and has held a business meeting with 13 major business players in the fields of mining, hospitality, and other fields," Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi said in Sydney.

She said that during the meeting, the Australian business players expressed their confidence to expand businesses in Indonesia.

According to the minister, one of the investors directly conveyed their expression of confidence (in the business climate in Indonesia).

Last year, they conducted a survey and found that Indonesia was among the top five countries which won the trust of investors and was given priority for their business expansion, Retno stated.

"I think it is very good if we are in the top five position of the Australian business players in Indonesia," the foreign minister added.

In the meeting, the investors expressed their commitment to create business expansion in the coming years. "This is the first agenda, and in a few moments, the president will meet the New South Wales premier," she noted.

New South Wales (NSW) has an important meaning for Indonesia, because in the Australian state, some 41,435 of the 68 thousand people are Indonesian citizens.

There are 20 thousand Indonesian students of which half of them live in NSW.

"With NSW, the Indonesia-Australia trade will also be significant ," Retno remarked.

Hence, the president will meet NSWs Premier Gladys Berejiklian to discuss the cooperation that could be established between NSW and Indonesia.

Jokowi will also join for dinner at the residence of Australian Prime Minister Turnbull. "This shows the closeness between the prime minister and the president," she added.

The next day, Jokowi will have a tight agenda, including talks with Turnbull, which will begin as a one-on-one meet followed by a bilateral meeting, and the signing of a MoU on the maritime and creative economy sectors.

There will also be a state reception by the Governor General, which will be followed by a meeting and a lunch hosted by the governor general.

The final agenda includes a meeting between the president and the Indonesian society in Sydney.
(Uu.A014/INE/KR-BSR/B003)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
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