Elevate your local knowledge

Sign up for the iNFOnews newsletter today!

Select Region

Selecting your primary region ensures you get the stories that matter to you first.

Indonesia president lands in Sydney on first Australia visit

Indonesia president lands in Sydney on first Australia visit | iNFOnews.ca
Indonesian President Joko Widodo, centre right, and his wife, Iriana, centre left, are met by officials as they arrive to a wet Sydney, Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017. Widodo is on a 2-day visit to Australia. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

SYDNEY, Australia – Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo arrived in Sydney on Saturday on his first visit to Australia as his nation’s leader.

Jokowi and first lady Iriana Widodo landed in rain and clutched umbrellas as they greeted Australian officials on the Sydney Airport tarmac.

Improving trade and investment will be a key focus of Jokowi’s two-day state visit with plans to finalize a free trade agreement this year. Jokowi will meet with business leaders Saturday afternoon before a private dinner at Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s harbour-side mansion.

“Our relationship with Indonesia is growing deeper by the day but it has not yet reached its full potential,” Turnbull wrote in an opinion piece in The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper, adding that Australia trades more with Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand than with Indonesia.

Indonesia has a population of 250 million and is Australia’s nearest neighbour after Papua New Guinea. Australia has 24 million people.

News from © The Associated Press, . All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community?

Create a free account

The Associated Press

The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world’s population sees AP journalism every day.

Related Articles