PRESIDENT JOKOWI HOPES HIS VISIT TO US BENEFICIAL TO PEOPLE

Abu Dhabi, 12 Muharram 1437/25 October 2015 (MINA) – President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said he hoped that his official visit to the United States from 24 to 30 October would be beneficial to the people in the country, especially for the development of digital economy and creative economy.

Head of the presidential communications team, Ari Dwipayana in a press statement said here on Sunday, the official visit at the invitation of US President Barack Obama is aimed at enhancing the bilateral cooperation between Indonesia and the US in the fields of trade and investments, the digital economy and creative economy, development of tolerance, and democracy.

President Jokowi will meet President Barack Obama on Monday, then huddle with US leaders, first in Washington, then in the  technology hub of Silicon Valley to hear and see the first-hand US success story in building digital economy and creative economy.

The president will also deliver a policy speech at the Brookings Institution, a think-tank that is influential in the world.

Business deals valued at $19.5 billion, including joint projects between Indonesian state utilities and U.S. firms in the power sector, are due to be announced, according to officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about planning for the trip.

Furthermore, the president said his meetings with Obama and American business leaders is expected to encourage investment into Indonesia with benefits will be felt by the people.

“I want Indonesian people, mainly the business circle, can improve the quality of their production and competitiveness by leveraging technology,” the president said.

The benefits in the development of the digital economy and creative economy should be felt by all the people, including those living in rural areas, said the president.

President Jokowi arrived in Abu Dhabi for a stopover before continuing his flights to the US via Amsterdam Schiphol Airport.

Obama, who lived in Indonesia as a child, visited the country twice during his first term as he sought to put more emphasis on America’s ties with Asia.

But like many countries in the region, Indonesia remains careful to balance its relations between the US and China, the area’s dominant economy. (T/R07/R01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)