PM Najib To Visit Jakarta On Aug 1-3

PUTRAJAYA (Malaysia), July 30 (Bernama) -- Najib Razak will undertake a working visit to Jakarta, Indonesia on Aug 1 to 3 in conjunction with the 11th Annual Consultation between the Malaysian Prime Minister and the Indonesian President, and the 12th World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF). The Foreign Ministry, in a statement, Saturday said the annual consultation would be held on Aug 1 while the 12th WIEF would take place on Aug 2 to 4, 2016. "The 11th Annual Consultation will mark the first meeting between Najib and President Joko Widodo under the annual consultation framework. "Both leaders will discuss bilateral issues of mutual interest and explore new areas of cooperation," the statement said. The two leaders will also witness the signing of the bilateral agreement between Bank Negara Malaysia (Malaysia's Central Bank) and Otoritas Jasa Keuwangan Indonesia under the ASEAN Banking Integration Framework (ABIF), as well as the agreement between the Indonesian Government and the Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC) on the Secretariat of CPOPC. The Foreign Ministry said, the last annual consultation was held in Jakarta on Dec 19, 2013, prior to Joko Widodo’s presidency. The 11th Annual Consultation reflects the strong commitment of both countries to further deepen the long standing and close bilateral relations between Malaysia and Indonesia, it said. Indonesia is Malaysia’s 7th largest trading partner and the third largest among ASEAN countries, with total bilateral trade between the two countries recorded at RM60.16 billion (US$15.25 billion) in 2015. Following the 11th Annual Consultation, the Foreign Ministry said, the Prime Minister would participate at the 12th WIEF, themed "Decentralising Growth, Empowering Business". The forum acknowledged the role of small and medium businesses in driving economic growth in national economies around the world, away from the previous dominance of big multinationals, which represent only a small portion of the business community of any particular country. The Foreign Ministry said the 12th WIEF will also provide a platform for participants to pool their ideas, especially on ways to implement the innovative partnerships and provide opportunities for future cooperation in various sectors. This year’s forum is expected to be the biggest with more than 2,500 participants and will be attended by the leaders from several countries including Tajikistan, Guinea and Sri Lanka. Najib, as the patron of WIEF, will deliver a special address during the opening session on Aug 2 and is expected to hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts during the forum to discuss bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest. The Prime Minister is also scheduled to attend a few events at the margins of the forum such as the soft launch of the Global Entrepreneurship Community (GECommunity) by the Malaysia's Finance Ministry. He will also witness the exchange of memorandums of understanding (MoUs) and agreements between Malaysian and international companies. -- BERNAMA