Indonesian President to Visit Naypyidaw

By Jakarta Globe 22 April 2013

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will make visits to Singapore, Burma and Brunei this week, a presidential staffer revealed on Friday.

In a statement, presidential adviser on foreign affairs Teuku Faizasyah said that the president, who will be accompanied by a delegation and First Lady Ani Yudhoyono, would leave for Singapore on Monday.

The president will attend the annual Leaders’ Retreat hosted by the island republic.

During the retreat, Yudhoyono is scheduled to meet with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to discuss bilateral cooperation in investment, air transportation, tourism, manpower, agro-business, counterterrorism and economic growth zones.

“The annual Indonesia-Singapore Leader’s Retreat meeting constitutes the highest forum to evaluate the progress of bilateral cooperations handled by seven working groups. Regular and periodical meetings are also aimed at ascertaining the achievements and the follow up for the various agreements reached in previous Leaders’ Retreat,” Faizasyah said.

While in Singapore, Yudhoyono will receive honorary degrees from the Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU). He will also address a Thomson Reuters Newsmaker business and financial event.

The president and his retinue will fly to Naypyidaw, Burma, on Tuesday for a two-day state visit to hold meet with his Burmese counterpart Thein Sein and strengthen bilateral ties.

Thein Sein visited Indonesia in May 2011.

Faizasyah said that Yudhoyono’s visit to the recently opened state is aimed at expanding ties between the two countries.

The two presidents are scheduled to witness the signing of several memoranda of understanding, concerning trade, capacity building and investment.

Afterward, Yudhoyono will go to Bandar Seri Begawan in Brunei on Wednesday to attend the 22nd summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) there.

The Indonesian president will also attend the 9th summit of the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Filipino East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) and the 7th summit of the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT), which are held on the sideline of the Asean summit.

The First Couple is expected to fly home on Friday.