Indonesian President Invites Sri Lankan President for State Visit and IORA Summit

President Jokowi invites President Sirisena for State Visit and IORA Summit in Jakarta.

Colombo, 28 Jumadil Awwal 1438/25 February 2017 (MINA) – Indonesian President Joko Widoda has invited President Maithripala Sirisena to pay a state visit to his country immediately after his scheduled participation at the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Summit meeting to be held in Jakarta.

The Indonesian President’s Special Envoy A. M. Fachir, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs delivered the letter of invitation to President Sirisena at the Presidential Secretariat on Thursday, dailynews.lk reported.

President Sirisena will attend the IORA Summit on March 6, 7 and pay a state visit on March 8.

The President conveyed his thanks to President Widoda, through the Special Envoy, for the invitation and said he was looking forward to attending the Summit which marks the IORA’s 20th anniversary and to meet the Indonesian President for discussions on furthering friendship and cooperation in trade, investment, tourism and other areas of common interest.

Special Envoy Fachir said that Indonesia has already dispatched the first consignment of the rice donation for drought relief announced by President Widodo..

He said that President Widodo personally attended the briefing ceremony at the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) Warehouse in Kelapa Gading in Jakarta.

President Sirisena conveyed his thanks

to the President, the Government and the people of Indonesia for the donation.

He said the Indonesian donation of 5,000 MT symbolises the strong friendship that exists between Indonesia and Sri Lanka.

President Sirisena recalled the strong ties between the two countries since ancient times and said that Indonesia played an invaluable role at the 1976 Non-Aligned Summit )NAM) hosted by Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike. (T/RS05/RS01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)