Wan Azizah calls on Indonesian President Jokowi

BOGOR, Indonesia: Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail began her one-day working visit to Indonesia Tuesday by calling on Indonesian President Joko Widodo.
During the 30-minute meeting at the Bogor Presidential Palace, Dr Wan Azizah and Jokowi, as the Indonesian president is fondly called, discussed various matters concerning bilateral ties.
Dr Wan Azizah was accompanied by Malaysian Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Marzuki Yahya and Foreign Ministry deputy secretary-general Datuk Raja Nushirwan Zainal Abidin. Also present at the meeting were Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi and State Secretariat Minister Muhadjir Effendy.
Dr Wan Azizah's visit to Indonesia is her first to the neighbouring country since her appointment as Malaysia's deputy prime minister on May 21 following the Pakatan Harapan victory in the general election in May.
Her packed itinerary includes a courtesy call on Indonesian Vice-President Jusuf Kalla and a meeting with Women Empowerment and Child Protection Minister Yohana Susana Yembise.
Dr Wan Azizah is also scheduled to visit the Asean Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Centre) for a briefing on the current coordination work done by the centre to send humanitarian assistance from the Asean member states to the victims of the recent earthquake and tsunami in Central Sulawesi.
Later Tuesday, the deputy prime minister will also meet with Indonesian captains of industry and the Malaysian diaspora in Jakarta.
Indonesia is one of Malaysia's closest friends and an important neighbour.
In 2017, total bilateral trade was recorded at RM72.63 billion, an increase of 22% in comparison with 2016, making Indonesia Malaysia's seventh largest trading partner globally and third largest trading partner among the Asean member countries after Singapore and Thailand. — Bernama