"They clicked. This is one of the longest meetings the President has had with a guest from another country," the Minister remarked at the Bogor Presidential Palace on Wednesday.
President Jokowi welcomed His Royal Highness upon his arrival at the Soekarno Hatta International Airport, and Marsudi said that the meeting went on for more than 2.5 hours.
Discussions between Jokowi and Sheikh Mohamed revolved around measures to intensify economic cooperation, in a bid to promote the welfare of Indonesians, she remarked.
"To ensure economic partnerships will be beneficial for Indonesians. As two big countries, with Muslim citizens as the majority population, there is a lot of potential. Therefore, we need to be able to build a strong economic partnership. We have also agreed to cooperate in promoting tolerance and moderation," she explained.
Furthermore, she recalled Sheikh Mohamed's friendly welcome during President Jokowi's visit to Abu Dhabi back in 2015.
"When the President was visiting Abu Dhabi in 2015, Sheikh Mohamed welcomed him on the steps of his jet. They walked to the car together and Sheikh Mohamed himself drove the President to the restaurant. President Jokowi felt very respected," she said.
Sheikh Mohamed, who also serves as Deputy Commander in Chief of the UAE Armed Forces, arrived in Jakarta on Wednesday morning for a one-day state visit.
He led the delegation in a bilateral meeting, comprising a number of ministers and businesspersons.
The entourage of the UAE Crown Prince left the Bogor Presidential Palace at 1:40 pm local time.
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Translator: Bayu Prasetyo, Aria Cindyara
Editor: Sri Haryati
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