MANILA – Indonesian President Jokowi Widodo is set to visit the Philippines next week and is expected to hold talks with President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., as the meeting is “anticipated to take stock of the progress in Philippines-Indonesia relations”.
In an announcement released by the Presidential Communications Office, it said that the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirms that Widodo will arrive in the country for an official visit scheduled on January 9 to 11, 2024.
“President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is pleased to welcome His Excellency Joko Widodo, President of the Republic of Indonesia, for his upcoming official visit to the Philippines, scheduled on 9 to 11 January 2024,” the DFA stated in a media announcement.
According to the DFA, Marcos’ meeting with Widodo, which is set on January 10, is expected to focus on the progress of the bilateral relations between the two countries following the successful state visit of the Filipino leader to Indonesia in September 2022, just a few months after being proclaimed as the new President of the Philippines.
Noted also were the previous meetings between Widodo and Marcos Jr. where they discussed the case of Filipina Mary Jane Veloso, who is currently on Indonesia’s death row for drug-related charges. Diplomatic sources are expecting that the issue is likely to be raised again by Marcos during the visit.
Considered as the two most “vibrant” democracies in Southeast Asia, and as founding members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), both countries considered themselves “close neighbours” and “partners” that have enjoyed longstanding and robust cooperation in a wide range of areas in the political, economic and people-to-people relations, according to the DFA.
The two leaders are also expected to reaffirm their commitment to deepening and expanding Philippines-Indonesia ties, especially as the two countries celebrate this coming November the 75th anniversary of their formal diplomatic relations, the DFA noted.
DFA Sec. Manalo, Indonesian Foreign Minister Marsudi to Co-Chair Bilateral Talks
On the same week of Widodo’s visit, DFA Secretary Enrique Manalo is set to meet his Indonesian counterpart for the convening of the Ministerial Meeting of the 7th Philippines-Indonesia Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC).
According to the DFA, Manalo and Indonesian Minister for Foreign Affairs H.E. Retno L.P. Marsudi will meet in Manila on January 9, 2024, and is expected to “exchange views on key regional and international issues of common concern” for the Philippines and Indonesia.
The JCBC is the primary dialogue mechanism between the Philippines and Indonesia to review accomplishments on mutual collaboration initiatives, exchange views on issues of mutual interest, and consider plans for enhancing cooperation, DFA added.
Photo shows DFA Sec. Enrique Manalo attending the 42nd ASEAN Summit in Indonesia on May 9 to 11, 2023. (Photo courtesy of asean.org)
Photo shows Minister for Foreign Affairs H.E. Retno L.P. Marsudi during Indonesia's hosting of the 42nd ASEAN Summit last May 9 to 11, 2023. Marsudi and Manalo will meet during the 7th Philippines-Indonesia Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) in Manila on January 9, 2024. (Photo courtesy of asean.org)
Widodo Winding Down His Final Term This Year
Widodo, 62, is set to step down this year as he completes his second and final term as President of Indonesia on October 21 from what is considered “humble beginnings to become the head of the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation”.
Previously, Widodo served as governor of Jakarta from 2012 to 214 and mayor of Surakarta from 2005 to 2012, and is known as the first Indonesian leader who is not from the political and military elite of the country.
