SINGAPORE-INDONESIA/PRESIDENT Indonesia's President Widodo visits Singapore to strengthen bilateral relations

Record ID: 145929

  • Title: SINGAPORE-INDONESIA/PRESIDENT Indonesia's President Widodo visits Singapore to strengthen bilateral relations
  • Date: 28th July 2015
  • Summary: SINGAPORE (JULY 28, 2015) (REUTERS) **** WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY **** EXTERIOR OF SINGAPORE'S PRESIDENTIAL PALACE INDONESIA PRESIDENT JOKO WIDODO AND SINGAPORE PRESIDENT TONY TAN WALKING OUT OF BUILDING SINGAPORE GUARD OF HONOUR STANDING NEXT TO FLAG POLES WIDODO AND TAN STEPPING ONTO PODIUM WIDODO AND TAN STANDING ON PODIUM IN FRONT OF GUARDS OF HONOUR NATIONAL FLAG OF SINGAPORE FLYING WIDODO INSPECTING GUARDS OF HONOUR CAMERAMAN FILMING WIDODO AND TAN LEAVING WIDODO AND TAN ENTERING PRESIDENTIAL PALACE WIDODO'S WIFE IRIANA (LEFT), WIDODO (2ND LEFT), TAN (END RIGHT) AND TAN'S WIFE MARY CHEE (RIGHT) POSING FOR PHOTOS VARIOUS OF WIDODO AND TAN SITTING FOR BILATERAL TALKS MEDIA FILMING INDONESIA'S DELEGATION STANDING BEHIND SEATS / WIDODO ARRIVING FOR TALKS DELEGATIONS TAKING THEIR SEATS AT MEETING TABLE WIDODO AND PRIME MINISTER LEE HSIEN LOONG ENTERING NEWS CONFERENCE ROOM WIDODO AND LEE STANDING IN FRONT OF FLAGS (SOUNDBITE) (English) SINGAPORE PRIME MINISTER, LEE HSIEN LOONG, SAYING: "We reaffirm our commitment to strengthen our ties, we discussed how we can increase our economic cooperation, we have always been a top trading partner and investor in Indonesia, and Indonesia always been a major destination for Singapore companies. So we agreed to work together to make it more attractive - even more attractive - so that Singapore companies can take advantage of opportunities in Indonesia." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) SINGAPORE PRIME MINISTER, LEE HSIEN LOONG, SAYING: "We also talked about security cooperation and exchanging information and intelligence between our security agencies because we are concerned with the threat from extremist terrorism, we both worry about ISIS, we have both had nationals of our countries involved in these terrorist activities, including in the Middle East, and we need to work together to develop our cooperation between the two governments and the security agencies." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Bahasa Indonesia) INDONESIA PRESIDENT, JOKO WIDODO, SAYING: "We'd like to seriously address the free trade zone and industrial zone issues in Batam, Bintan, and Karimun, and soon after we finish it, we would like to, once again, invite as many as possible of our fellow investors from Singapore to invest." CAMERAMAN FILMING END OF NEWS CONFERENCE
  • Embargoed: 12th August 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Singapore
  • Country: Singapore
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA1QOF8YZHIWET9QUNOH19IAJI3
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: PART AUDIO QUALITY AS INCOMING
    Indonesia's President Joko Widodo met his Singaporean counterpart Tony Tan and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Tuesday (July 28) as part of a two-day state visit to the neighbouring country.
    Accompanied by his wife, Iriana, and a number of cabinet ministers on the visit, Widodo took part in a welcoming ceremony, followed by bilateral talks and a news conference.
    "We reaffirm our commitment to strengthen our ties, we discussed how we can increase our economic cooperation, we have always been a top trading partner and investor in Indonesia, and Indonesia always been a major destination for Singapore companies. So we agreed to work together to make it more attractive - even more attractive - so that Singapore companies can take advantage of opportunities in Indonesia," said Lee at the news conference at Singapore's Presidential Palace.
    Lee also emphasised a mutual desire to cooperate on security issues.
    "We also talked about security cooperation and exchanging information and intelligence between our security agencies because we are concerned with the threat from extremist terrorism, we both worry about ISIS, we have both had nationals of our countries involved in these terrorist activities, including in the Middle East, and we need to work together to develop our cooperation between the two governments and the security agencies," Lee added.
    Indonesia's Ministry of Trade lists the total value of trade between Indonesia and Singapore as reaching $ 41.99 billion in 2014, the second largest after China.
    Singapore has also been the biggest investor in Indonesia over the last five years, with a total value of investment in 2014 reaching $ 5.8 billion in 2,056 projects, according to Ministry of Trade data.
    Widodo on Tuesday told reporters the country would be focusing on attracting more Singaporean investors.
    "We'd like to seriously address the free trade zone and industrial zone issues in Batam, Bintan, and Karimun, and soon after we finish it, we would like to, once again, invite as many as possible of our fellow investors from Singapore to invest," Widodo said.
    Widodo also added that talks between the two countries included discussions on tourism and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
    Widodo, known to many as "Jokowi", is expected to leave Singapore on Wednesday (July 29). During his visit, both he and his wife are scheduled to attend a naming ceremony for a new species of orchid, which will be named "Iriana Jokowi".
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