The Indonesian head of state will attend the inauguration ceremony of new Timor Leste President Jose Maria de Vasconcelos, popularly known as Taur Matan Ruak.
West Nusa Tenggara provincial government spokesman Tri Budiprayitno said the inauguration of Timor Leste`s third president was scheduled on May 20, 2012, but President Yudhoyono left for the country a day earlier.
"President Yudhoyono and his entourage left Lombok International Airport (BIL) at 7 on Saturday morning for Timor Leste, Tri Budiprayitno said, adding that the head of state had been in West Nusa Tenggara since Friday for a working visit.
In a press statement earlier on Thursday, presidential special aid for international affairs Teuku Faizasyah said President Yudhoyono would spend two days in Timor Leste at the invitation of Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao.
Faizasyah said the president would receive a medal of merit "The Grand Collar of the Order of Timor-Leste" from the Timor Leste government during the visit. He will also visit Santa Cruz cemetery and Seroja heroes cemetery in Dili.
"Besides attending the swearing-in of the newly-elected Timor Leste president and the 10th anniversary of the country`s independence, President Yudhoyono will also hold bilateral talks and witness the signing of several memorandums of understanding.
Faizasyah described the visit as one of the efforts to enhance cooperation and relationship between the two neighboring countries.
"President Yudhoyono`s visit to Timor Leste will hopefully strengthen bilateral cooperation and relationship between Indonesia and Timor Leste," he said.
In the past ten years, the relations between the two nations which always put emphasis on forward-looking approaches have made a lot of progress.
"The meeting with newly-elected Timor Leste President Jos Maria Vasconcelos on May 20 will serve as an important momentum for the two leaders to affirm their joint commitment to maintaining the existing good relations between the two countries," he said. (*)
Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
