Indonesian President arrives in Manila Sunday for state visit

MANILA, Philippines–Indonesian President Joko Widodo will arrive in Manila Sunday for a three-day state visit—his first in the country as head of state.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Saturday said the visit of Widodo, fondly called “Jokowi” by Indonesians, was upon the invitation of President Aquino and is part of the longtime tradition for every Indonesian head of state.

“In the spirit of Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) solidarity, it is tradition on the part of a new head of state to immediately conduct introductory visits to fellow Asean member states,” the DFA said.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said that Widodo would pay a courtesy call on Mr. Aquino on Monday afternoon to be followed by a state dinner for the visiting president.

Widodo, who was a governor of Jakarta before assuming the presidency on Oct. 20 last year, has gained popularity among Indonesians due to his down-to-earth style of leadership, a stark contrast to that of his predecessor and rival, who like him, is a former military general.

The Indonesian president’s three-country swing has taken him to Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam, with the Philippines as his final stop.

Widodo will meet President Aquino to discuss matters of mutual concern, including migrant workers issues, maritime cooperation, defense, trade and investment and people-to-people exchanges.

Indonesia was the Philippines’ 11th-largest trade partner in 2013, with total trade amounting to $3.62 billion.–With Nikko Dizon