President Jokowi greeted Yassin and his entourage on arrival at the Merdeka Palace at 10:30 Indonesian Western Time (WIB). The two leaders then inspected a guard-of-honor by the Indonesian presidential security force.
Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi and State Secretary Minister Pratikno were present at the occasion.
Yassin is the first foreign leader to have visited Indonesia in 2021.
Jokowi and Yassin held a brief meeting at the veranda of the Merdeka Palace before performing the Friday prayer and then had lunch.
Issues to be discussed at the bilateral meeting encompassed economic cooperation, regional security, bilateral cooperation, and efforts to handle COVID-19 pandemic.
"Indonesia and Malaysia share very close relations in economy. We have also forged cooperation in the social and cultural fields. The two leaders will discuss issues related to bilateral ties," Foreign Affairs Minister Marsudi stated.
The minister noted that the protection of Indonesian citizens living and working in Malaysia is a crucial issue for Indonesia.
"The two leaders will also discuss some regional and global issues," she revealed.
Prime Minister Yassin arrived in Jakarta on Thursday (Feb 4). It is his first overseas visit since he took over as the Malaysian prime minister in March 2020.
Malaysia is an important partner for Indonesia in the trade, investment, tourism, and socio-cultural sectors, among others.
Malaysia is Indonesia's fifth-largest trade partner, with bilateral trade reaching US$16.5 billion in 2019, and the sixth-biggest investor in Indonesia, with a total investment of US$1.35 billion in 2019.
Malaysia was also the largest source of foreign visitors in 2019, with 2.98 million Malaysian tourists arriving in Indonesia during the year. Related news: Malaysian Prime Minister to visit Indonesia to forge bilateral ties
Related news: Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand to sign customs cooperation pact
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Translator: Desca L Natalia, Sri Haryati
Editor: Suharto
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