President Yudhoyono is scheduled to attend numerous meetings and to meet various parties prior to his return to Jakarta on October 1, 2014, before his term in office ends on October 20.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono accompanied by First Lady Ani Yudhoyono and his entourage departed from Halim Perdanakusuma Airport at 8 a.m. local time, on Thursday, for Portugal en route for the United States and Japan.

President Yudhoyono is scheduled to attend numerous meetings and to meet various parties prior to his return to Jakarta on October 1, 2014, before his term in office ends on October 20.

"This is my last and the longest overseas visit as president during the past 10 years. It is the longest trip because we will undertake three bilateral activities in Portugal, the United States, and Japan," Yudhoyono noted moments before his plane took off from the Halim Perdanakusuma Airports runway.

At the airport, the president was seen off by Vice President Boediono, President-elect Joko Widodo, Coordinating Minister for Economy Chairul Tanjug, and Foreign Affairs Minister Marty Natalegawa, among several others.

The head of state explained that his trip to Portugal this time is to reciprocate a historic visit to Indonesia by Portuguese President Cavaco da Silva in May 2012.

In the United States, President Yudhoyono is scheduled to attend the 69th UN General Assembly, UN Climate Summit, and Open Government Partnership High Level Event (OGP-HLE) in New York.

While in New York, Yudhoyono will also hold bilateral meetings with the presidents of the United States and Mexico, and the prime ministers of Australia and the Netherlands.

From New York, the Indonesian president will head to Washington DC to inaugurate the Indonesian Muslim Association in America Center (IMAAM Center) and to hold a dialog with the US Muslim figures regarding the current developments in the Islamic world, including the instability in the Middle East.

Finally, in Japan, Yudhoyono will meet and exchange views with Indonesian economic players and experts in the country before returning to Jakarta on October 1.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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