In his opening remarks, Widodo appreciated Wickremesinghe's presence at the forum.
"I also appreciate Sri Lanka's support for the ministerial declaration that will be adopted at this forum," he added.
Meanwhile, Wickremesinghe expressed his appreciation for Widodo's invitation and highlighted the close historical relations between the two countries since the era of the Asian-African Conference in Bandung.
He then lauded Widodo's efforts to strengthen relations between Indonesia and Sri Lanka.
"I wanted to thank you for what you have done for Sri Lanka and Indonesia relations," he stated.
Wickremesinghe then emphasized the importance of cooperation in water resources management and expressed his commitment to the ministerial declaration proposed at the forum.
In addition, he praised Indonesia's efforts to strengthen bilateral relations and shared his views on the importance of increasing resources through blended finance.
In his closing remarks, he thanked Indonesia's leadership for organizing the forum and committed to continue participating in regional dialogue and cooperation in the future.
"We appreciate the World Water Forum. We want to participate in this event. This is an important forum for Sri Lanka," Wickremesinghe said.
Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi, State Secretary Minister Pratikno, and Minister of Investment/head of the Investment Coordinating Board, Bahlil Lahadalia, accompanied Widodo to the meeting.
The World Water Forum is an international forum that involves several stakeholders in the water resources sector, ranging from government officials, parliament representatives, political leaders, multilateral institutions, academicians, and civil society organizations to business actors.
This year's forum carries the theme "Water for Shared Prosperity" and has several sub-themes, such as water security and prosperity; water for humans and nature; disaster risk reduction and management; governance, cooperation, and water diplomacy; sustainable water financing; and knowledge and innovation.
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Translator: Andi Firdaus, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Arie Novarina
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